Avoid this seven common, new manager mistakes that actually prevent you from achieving your goals, and set you up for failure.

1. Don’t make instant changes. Small or drastic. Your people don’t know you and whether your intentions are for the betterment of the team and the company, or you’re operating from your own self-serving agenda.

2. Don’t make promises which you have no idea what they entail, or attempt to fulfill promises from their prior manager, thinking you’re demonstrating your commitment to the team’s success.

3. Don’t overpromise anything. Saying, “yes” to every opportunity, while demonstrating initiative, is also setting you up for failure. Setting practically unachievable expectations on day one makes it very difficult to maintain these expectations throughout your career. Now, you’re setting the precedent for what others expect from you.

5. Don’t assume performance, skill, attitude, and especially, trust. First observe and assess instead.

6. Don’t assume how each person wants to be coached/managed.

7. Don’t assume your job responsibilities. When was the last time you reviewed your job description? Or worse, do you even have one. If you don’t, the company can keep moving the goal post and changing what you’re responsible for.

Get a good sense of what your position truly entails. Then, you’ll be able to make better decisions for yourself, and for the company.