Noise: Hear/ Listen, Digest, Excrete

Less than 1 1/2 months into the job, I am starting to receive passionately written letters in my mailbox and ad hoc visitations to my office. I believe these "kind" attention from opportunistic employees is dispensed in a bid to 'suss the new manager out'.
There they will stand, relating in earnest their side of the story, their grievances and difficulties. Woe betide these long suffering souls. Honestly, I am surprised they lasted so long in the company.

Am I the "Messiah" they have been praying for?
Do they think I have the authority to veto decisions made by the executive M.D.?
Are they trying to capitalise on my apparent naiveté?

Here I am, trying to keep my focus in spite of the background noise. After all, apart from learning all about the trade, I am ultimately numbers driven.
Organizational management is definitely part of my R&R but without the fuel ($$), there will be no existence of the organization per se.
First things first. Especially when we're talking about navigating a SME/SMB.

Listen versus Hear:
When you are listening, you are actively trying to hear something.
In contrast, hearing is something that happens without any intentional effort.

Personal modus operandi: Listen, absorb, retain, digest, filter the crap, keep the nutrients, store them for growth, place the nonsense in the recycle bin and restore them to 'trash' crappers in future.