Do you love people management? I do...

Leading a new team following a promotion or restructure? It’s happened to me lots… read my top tips on how to hit it off on the right note!

1.    Meet and listen with direct reports, your boss and all relevant key stakeholders individually. Your agenda is three-fold: get people to know you, let them feel heard and form your own opinion of what needs to be done with the business. The latter will help you form a starter vision which will be critical for 2.

2.    Organise an offsite meeting to form the team. Even if it is an established team, you’re new so automatically the team is new. Come up with a vision that unites the team, be clear on your expectations and theirs and define all key elements of a great team charter, as a group. I’ve invested this time and led those workshops with my teams; the clarity and unity gained pays back and your team will love you for it.

3.    Use the situational leadership matrix where newbies need more direction and successful team members need less of that and more support. Who cares if you’re new, if certain members are doing a great job they don’t need to be micro-managed, it’s only going to turn them off so use them as your allies before you figure out how good they really are. Besides, you’re busy directing the ones who need it, so focus on that first.

4.    Suspend judgment. Don’t believe everything your predecessor tells you, be it about the business or the people. You have a fresh pair of eyes on the business challenge and every relationship is a two-way street. Be open and make your mind up about both.

5.    Remember that you can NEVER over-communicate. Especially when you’re new, people will want to know everything about you! So tell them about you, your family, your beliefs, your values and all that good stuff.

6. Bonus reminder... A manager does things right and a leader does the right thing. These days, you have to master both..

I am passionate about leading teams and have so much more advice to give… Need help establishing yourself and a new team with a team chartering workshop? Need a mentor to confide in and get practical advice? I’m here to help so contact me at Haven 35.