Your 30-60-90 Day Plan for Help Desk Manager Success

Congrats! You’re now the proud owner of a help desk—complete with a never-ending ticket queue, confused users, and a team looking to you for answers. No pressure, right? This 30-60-90 day plan will help you avoid rookie mistakes, win over your team, and slowly but surely transform chaos into a well-oiled support machine. Let’s get to work!

First 30 Days: Assess and Build Relationships

The focus here is to observe, learn, and build trust. Avoid major changes until you fully understand the current landscape.

Key Actions:

1. Assess the Help Desk

• Review ticket data, SLAs, and performance metrics. Identify patterns, such as common issues and response times.

• Observe your team in action to understand their workflows and challenges.

• Identify critical stakeholders (department heads, IT leadership) and learn their support needs and expectations.

2. Build Relationships

• Meet with each team member one-on-one to understand their roles, challenges, and career goals.

• Conduct listening sessions with other departments to learn about their support experiences.

• Begin fostering a culture of open communication by encouraging feedback and suggestions.

3. Document Current Processes

• Review and organize key documentation (workflows, escalation paths, and troubleshooting guides).

• Identify any gaps or outdated information in the knowledge base.

Outcomes by Day 30:

• You have a clear picture of the help desk's strengths and weaknesses.

• You’ve established trust and rapport with your team and key stakeholders.

• You’ve identified priority areas for improvement.

Days 31-60: Develop and Implement Quick Wins

This phase focuses on making small but impactful improvements to boost team morale and efficiency.

Key Actions:

1. Set Clear Goals and Metrics

• Define key performance indicators (KPIs), such as ticket resolution time, first-call resolution, and customer satisfaction (CSAT).

• Share these goals with your team and explain their role in achieving them.

2. Implement Quick Wins

• Address any low-hanging fruit identified in your first 30 days, such as improving ticket workflows, reorganizing the knowledge base, or enhancing self-service tools.

• Create or update escalation procedures to ensure critical tickets are handled efficiently.

3. Begin Training Initiatives

• Identify skill gaps and create a training plan focused on both technical and customer service skills.

• Encourage team members to contribute to the knowledge base by documenting common issues.

4. Increase Collaboration

• Schedule regular check-ins with stakeholders to ensure alignment on priorities.

• Foster cross-department collaboration to improve response times and ticket handoffs.

Outcomes by Day 60:

• Early wins have boosted team morale and improved service efficiency.

• Your team has clear goals and KPIs in place.

• Stakeholders are noticing small but meaningful service improvements.

Days 61-90: Optimize and Drive Long-Term Success

The focus here is on laying a strong foundation for sustainable improvements and leadership development.

Key Actions:

1. Optimize Processes and Tools

• Evaluate your ticketing system, reporting tools, and self-service options to ensure they are meeting your needs.

• Streamline workflows and automate repetitive tasks where possible.

2. Establish a Feedback Loop

• Implement regular feedback mechanisms, such as post-ticket surveys or monthly stakeholder reviews, to gather input on service quality.

• Use this feedback to make continuous improvements.

3. Develop Future Leaders

• Identify high-potential team members and offer them opportunities to lead projects or mentor others.

• Begin succession planning by developing career paths for your team members.

4. Demonstrate the Value of the Help Desk

• Share performance reports with stakeholders to highlight improvements in KPIs like resolution time, CSAT, and ticket volumes.

• Showcase success stories, such as how the help desk contributed to business continuity or resolved critical incidents.

Outcomes by Day 90:

• Processes and tools have been optimized for greater efficiency.

• Your team is engaged, motivated, and developing new skills.

• The help desk is seen as a valuable business partner, not just a reactive support function.

Bonus: First Year Goals

• Ensure KPIs are consistently met or exceeded.

• Strengthen your team through training and leadership development.

• Position the help desk as a strategic asset through ongoing collaboration and visibility within the organization.

💡 Want to go deeper?
Explore more expert tips, tools, and strategies for building and supporting a modern help desk.
Visit our Help Desk Resource Hub →

⚡ Train a Modern Help Desk the Way Leading IT Teams Do

Today’s top IT organizations invest in technical fundamentals, service management best practices, cybersecurity awareness, and soft skills to keep help desks fast, secure, and user-focused.

ACI Learning delivers hands-on, role-specific training that helps your team:

• Resolve tickets faster
• Reduce security risk
• Grow their careers

Key Training Areas:

• 🖥️ Core IT Foundations — CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, ITIL® Foundation
• 🤝 Customer Service & Soft Skills — Communication, empathy, collaboration
• 🔒 Cybersecurity Readiness — Threat awareness, secure access control
• 🚀 Career Growth & Advancement — Leadership, project management, HR & compliance

Why Help Desk Teams Choose ACI Learning:

• 🧪 Skill Labs & Hardware Simulations — Safe, real-world troubleshooting practice
• 🎯 Custom Learning Paths — Tailored to roles and career stages
• 🌐 Marketplace Expansion — Leadership, productivity & business skills when your team is ready to grow

👉 Explore the ACI Learning Catalog
👉 Discover the Online Learning Marketplace