Before day one, ask for a written sketch of priorities for the first month: which projects are warm, which handoffs still need owners, and which meetings are optional while you rebuild context. That sketch prevents a silent expectation that you will “catch up overnight.”
Separate care logistics from performance talk
Care schedules and role expectations both matter, but mixing them into one defensive hour rarely helps. Many alumni schedule a short logistics check-in and a later workload review—mirroring module five of the Consultation Studio.
Keep a mild audit trail
A shared note with dates and agreed temporary patterns protects everyone if staffing shifts mid-quarter. It does not need legal tone; it needs specificity.