Top tips for heads of department inducting a new DM

Before the DM arrives:

1. Ask a member of the admin team to contact the department’s cluster support informing them of the DM’s arrival date and request an email account username and password.
    
2. Prepare/arrange the preparation of a small welcome pack of essential material eg departmental contact list, restaurants and cafes in the School, list of Head of Departments and DMs etc.
    
3. Encourage the DM to send their signed contract in to HR prior to their start date in order that issues/problems can be raised and resolved prior to arrival at the School.

On the DM’s first day:

1. Ask the DM to arrive at 10am rather than 9.30am so all admin staff are settled.
    
2. Be there to meet the DM on their first day (preferably when they arrive or shortly after).
    
3. Take the DM on a tour of the Dept and introduce them to admin staff and key faculty.
    
4. Ask a member of the support staff team to show the DM where departmental facilities are eg toilets, kettle, coffee machine etc. and prepare a list of codes if you have doors with digilocks.
    
5. Recommend somewhere for the DM to have lunch that day/offer to take them for lunch.
    
6. Arrange a meeting to discuss key issues/working practices within the first week. Including:
    
   • How the department is organised ie academic and administrative roles.
      
   • Where the department fits into the School structure.
      
   • How the DM role fits into the department's structure.
      
   • A brief introduction to teaching and research activities. A brief explanation of how the Department will develop in the next few years and the DM’s role in achieving this.
      
   • A brief mutual exploration of how the working relationship between you and the DM should develop, including a schedule for probationary reviews and appraisals and division of responsibilities.
      
7. Advise the DM of your working hours and establish a system of regular contact.
    
8. Introduce the DM to the department’s accounts.
    
9. Identify key divisions for the new DM to arrange meetings with eg Finance, the Planning Unit, HR, RPDD etc.
    
10. Ensure the DM contacts the department’s cluster support to arrange access to the varied software applications they will use eg Aptos, SITS, the HR database etc.
     
11. Encourage the DM to email other DMs in the School using departmentalmanagers@lse.ac.uk and introduce themselves and request to be added to the mailing list.
     
12. Ask the Fire Officer to show the DM where the fire exits are and explain the fire evacuation procedures and the Health and Safety Officer to provide a copy of the Health and Safety policy

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