A Household Manager's First Month: Strategic Planning for Success

Starting a new job is never easy. It's great if the employer offers a robust onboarding program for new employees. In Private Service, however, onboarding tends to be minimal, particularly (and somewhat counter-intuitively) for more managerial positions like Household or Estate Managers. Without onboarding, an employer decreases the potential for a successful transition. More often than not, a Household Manager is left to do their own onboarding.

So what does being tasked with one's own onboarding look like? Here are a few ideas and, by no means, is the list comprehensive.

Every Home and Family are Different

Week 1: Assessment & Orientation

🔺 Understand the Household: Meet with family members (not all will make themselves available) to learn their routines, preferences, hot buttons, expectations, and long-term goals.

🔺 Review Existing Systems: Audit current budgets, schedules, and procedures. Identify gaps (e.g., outdated contracts, inefficient workflows). If there are manuals for SOPs or Mechanical Systems, review them and look for areas that require updating.

🔺 Evaluate Physical Space: Walkthrough the home. Check mechanical rooms for key systems from water shut valves to the "brains" of any smart home systems. Inspect maintenance needs, security systems, and inventory. Note urgent repairs or upgrades. Start drafting a preventive maintenance list.

🔺 Meet Staff: This is key. Introduce yourself to existing staff to understand their roles and challenges. The "feel" should be friendly and unthreatening. The Manager is there to understand.

Assess, Assess, Assess

Week 2: Build Relationships & Trust

🔺 Regular Check-Ins: Some Principals will make themselves available to Managers. With others, it can be a challenge to get time to learn upcoming priorities and to-do projects.

🔺 Staff Collaboration: Hold one-on-one meetings with staff to address concerns and clarify roles. Foster teamwork and open communication.

🔺 Discretion & Confidentiality: Emphasize privacy in all interactions to build trust.

Week 3: Implement Systems & Address Priorities

🔺 Streamline Processes: Introduce tools like shared calendars, budgeting apps, task / project management systems.

🔺 Create Maintenance Plans: Develop schedules for cleaning, landscaping, and home inspections.

🔺 Resolve Immediate Issues: Tackle urgent repairs, adjust staff schedules, or renegotiate vendor contracts. Provide training for new systems.

Week 4: Review, Adjust, & Plan Ahead

🔺 Gather Feedback: Assuming new systems have been approved, gather feedback from the family and staff.

🔺 Long-Term Goals: Understand and timeline family and managerial objectives including renovation projects, budget targets, hiring, events, etc.

🔺 Documentation: Start updating manuals, contacts, and emergency protocols. Share a summary report highlighting progress and next steps. Manuals are always works in progress and never complete.

Ongoing Priorities:

🔺 Administration: Install a system for tracking everything from staff reviews to negotiating contracts with vendors.

🔺 Budget Management: Track expenses, negotiate with vendors, and ensure financial transparency.

🔺 Cultural Sensitivity: Adapt to family traditions or values (e.g., holiday preparations, dietary customs).

🔺 Contingency Planning: Prepare for emergencies (e.g., medical incidents, power outages) with clear protocols.

Some Other Considerations:

🔺 Adapt: Adjust strategies based on feedback.

🔺 Communicate: Listen actively and clarify expectations. Develop those relationships with staff. It will likely be the housekeeper who tells the Manager about the dripping faucet on the third floor.

🔺 Be prepared to pivot. Have you heard the expression "do it, try it, fix it"? Not all first kicks at the can hit the mark. If a strategy, approach, or plan fail, assess why and make the required adjustments.

🔺 Always Maintain Professionalism: Staff look to their managers for leadership, guidance, professional growth, problem solving ability, and a steady, calm demeanour even under pressure. 

Succeeding Without Onboarding

It's never ideal when a new employee is given responsibility without any onboarding. Unfortunately, in Private Service it happens frequently, which means the Manager needs to take the bull by the horn as they say. But, by methodically assessing, building trust, and implementing tailored systems, a Household Manager can establish a strong foundation for efficient, harmonious household operations, and maximize their potential for long term success. Isn't that the objective?

© 2025, Portico Inc.