How New Managers Can Set Expectations With Their First Direct Report

New Manager Conversations with Fexingo: First 90 Days, Managing Former Peers, and Leadership Basics · Jun 7, 2026 · 9m · transcript

In this episode of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a topic every new manager faces but few prepare for: setting expectations with your very first direct report. They walk through a concrete example — a new manager named Priya who inherits a senior engineer, Marcus, who has been at the company for six years. Lucas breaks down the four key conversations Priya needs to have in her first two weeks: clarifying her own role, defining decision rights, establishing communication rhythms, and agreeing on success metrics. Luna pushes back on whether this feels like…