How to Make Your New Boss Successful
How to build a Quick Start Guide for your boss so you can win (together) from the first inning.
Thrice in my career I’ve gotten a new boss. In all instances I had been working at the company for +2 years, and knew how the place “worked.” Twice it was a new CFO when I was running FP&A, and once it was a new head of investor relations.
In all instances you inevitably panic, thinking: “What if they want to bring their own people in here and I’m out of a job?”
But if you take the glass half full view, one might reframe the situation as: “I’ve been given an opportunity to make myself indispensable.”
Because if you flip the coin on its head (or whatever the saying is), coming INTO a new org as a leader is scary. You’re expected to quickly get up to speed, make swift and decisive moves, and improve outcomes (I wrote about how to make an impact in your first 90 days here).
Therefore, it presents an opportunity for you to step up and be your new boss’ right hand… their confidant… their comfort blanket.
In all three instances I crafted a “Quick Start Guide” for my new boss. They never asked me for this, but they thanked me many times over for it. And it quickly cemented me as their go to partner as they got their feet wet.
Here’s how to build a Quick Start Guide for your boss so you can win (together) from the first inning.
1. Immediate Access to Essentials
File Organization:
This is super tactical, but CRITICAL.
Where does your team store shared files, and how are they organized? There’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to locate critical documents. Give them a lay of the land so they feel somewhat self sufficient when it comes to information gathering.
Access and Permissions:
List out all systems and tools they’ll need to access, and instructions on who gives access to what.
The “Level 10” thing to do would be list out how long the contracts are for (e.g., we’ve had FP&A Planning Tool XYZ for two years and have six months left on the contract) in case they want to refresh the tech stack.
2. Organizational Context
Org Mapping:
Visualize the company’s departmental structure, including any inherited teams (e.g., finance, product, marketing).
Highlight nuances like overlapping responsibilities or unique setups (e.g., BI sits under engineering, BDRs live marketing).
You’ll also want to map out your team’s structure, like I’ve done below with some help from the Boston Celtics.
Key Influencers:
Cross-functional power players, cultural leaders, and individuals with outsized influence.
Note unofficial influencers who shape morale or decision-making (e.g., “Anna in HR is the go-to for big-picture change management.”).
Cost Centers:
This is more specific for FP&A and finance teams who inherit a new boss. I like to visually map out the Cost Centers within the org. Sometimes that’s a bit different than the reporting hierarchy. I used to call this the “periodic table of cost centers”
And to that point, I’d also map out who the FP&A business partners were assigned to each cost center. This allowed them to quickly link the resources on the finance team to the budgeting throughout the org.
