The turkey is carved, and you’re about to take your first decadent bite of apple sausage stuffing when your uncle asks, “So, how’s the job going?” All of a sudden, fork in midair, you feel a pit in your stomach and forget about the 4 glorious days off ahead of you. You inform Uncle Dale that you’ll have a new boss starting Monday. On the other side of town, another family is sitting down to their meal talking about how hard it was getting out of bed for the Turkey Trot again this year and dreaming of the day the Detroit Lions will finally shift the trajectory of their Thanksgiving game-day record. But one person at the table is oddly silent this year. All she can think about is starting that new leadership position on Monday.
Getting a new leader and taking over a new team is hard for everyone involved. The team members are worried about changes in their compensation, their responsibilities, their territories, and having to prove themselves all over again. The new leader is worried about whether they made the right decision and how quickly they can make an impact and prove it was the right choice for all concerned.
I’ve been in both seats of that holiday dinner over the years - thinking about a new boss starting or about taking on a new team. Having been on both sides of the equation many times, I’ve experienced what works well and what doesn’t. In this blog, I’ll share 6 strategies for engaging your new team members quickly and easing the concerns of all parties.
Priority #1 as a new leader is to get to know everyone on your team. Make this the first thing you do before spending too much time with your own boss and other leaders. Everyone will have opinions and share advice on what you need to do. There will be plenty of time for that, but you need to understand your team quickly and key in on what matters to them. Set up 1x1’s with everyone on your team asking them to share:
These personal 1x1’s will go a long way in engaging your team and setting the tone for the culture you intend to build. Data shows that employees who feel heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to do their best work.
Take copious notes in these interviews; don’t lose them. I reference these meeting notes for annual goal setting, performance reviews, and any difficult conversations that might follow.
Let’s face it, it’s lonely at the top; it can also be very competitive. In between 1x1’s with your team, it’s important to get to know your peers. In these early days, it’s critical to uncover what’s top of mind to them, what problems they’re hoping you’re going to help solve, and what’s gotten in the way of getting things done in the past. During the first 90 days, you learn quickly who is going to be your confidant and who you may need to look out for. Who you may need to look out for, you ask? I know it sounds ugly, but it’s the truth and it only takes being burned once or twice to figure that out. Making peer connections will help you build trusting relationships, guard yourself from potential landmines, and determine how to get on a path to quick success collaboratively.
No matter what function you run, you need to know how money gets made, how you win business, and how you lose it. This takes time, but make it a priority along with getting to know your team and peers. Take this course of action for client insights:
Establishing early wins comes up in every book ever written for new leaders. It may sound cliché at this point, but the power of it can’t be overstated. What you get done and how soon you get to it has a real impact, especially if you’re taking action on something that people have wanted fixed for a long time. Is there some low hanging fruit – like relaxing the office dress code? (Yes! That’s still a thing in some places). What about adding a holiday or an extended long weekend to the summer schedule, moving someone from part-time to full-time, or allowing for job sharing models? These little steps go a long way in showing your commitment to a better culture.
Other wins should focus on impacting productivity and employee engagement – consider what processes need immediate streamlining and what kind of data people want. All these ideas should come directly from your 1x1 meetings and client analysis, and credit should be given to the person who raised the idea (if they are OK with that). We’ve all experienced new leaders who come in talking about how awesome it was at their last company, pointing fingers at things they think are broken in your organization without fully understanding why the process was put in place to begin with. You will have plenty of opportunities to make an impact and drive results. Early wins should come from what you’ve heard is most important to the team.
It won’t take long before people start asking what you plan to change. Communicating your vision and establishing short- and long-term goals is the last step of engaging as a new leader. Don’t do this too soon; it should come after the first 3 steps of getting to know your team, your peers, and your clients. This builds your short- and long-term goals. Your vision for the team, the function, or the company (depending on your level) should incorporate all the information you’ve gathered. You may be building a case for change or what some may consider disruption, so showing where the data came from makes the goals easier to buy into.
Include the following in your communications:
Following the vision and goal setting, immediately start putting things into action and productively engaging everyone on the team. Begin regular team meetings and 1x1 check-ins with your team. At monthly team meetings or town halls, review the goals and progress with updates on key objectives. Include visuals and dashboards so that everyone can see the progress you’re making as well as help spot trends and potential issues that need to be addressed.
As a leader, you are likely to outlast most of your team members. A recent report by The Bridge Group shows average sales rep tenure sits at 1.5 years. It’s likely your team is churning as quickly as you’re getting into objective setting, and that has a constant effect on your team dynamics and your ability to reach your goals. Conducting the same 1x1 type interviews you did when you were new works just as well at mid-year check points with just a slight adjustment to your questions.
Putting each of these strategies in place throughout your tenure will help you successfully engage your team and make a continual impact at work. Imagine how good it will feel knowing that, next Thanksgiving, Uncle Dale is going to hear how much your team member respects and appreciates their new boss. So sit back, take that bite of apple sausage stuffing, and enjoy the holidays because you have a plan for your new role. As for me, I’m going back to dreaming of a Lions win.
The easiest time I’ve ever had taking on a new leadership role was when I joined The Omnia Group. Given that we specialize in behavioral insight, I had immediate, powerful data into the make-up of my team. The Omnia Professional Development report provides details on the traits of each team member, such as level of assertiveness, communication preferences, pace and need for structure. I keep my team dynamics report handy so I can quickly reference the personal motivators and demotivators of each member of my team. Please contact me if you’re interested in learning more about how these resources can help you engage your new team and get off to the right start.
