Adding a new team member changes any team’s dynamic. This is especially true when the new team member is the boss. A new leader means employees have to adapt to a new leadership style and figure out how their new boss operates. This can be stressful for everyone involved. It can take weeks, months and sometimes years for trust to be established.
If you happen to be a newly promoted leader or if you’ve moved to a different company and you’re overseeing a new team, we’re sharing some tips that can help you adjust in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today. Read on for some suggestions from Alaina Love, the CEO of Purpose Linked Consulting.
Listen before you lead. You wouldn’t be starting off on the best foot if you immediately start dictating how you want the department to function, Love says. Be sure you get to know your employees by listening to them. Strive to learn their aspirations, challenges and background. Love recommends listening with an intention to understand and not to judge.
Let your team get to know you. As the boss, you may be intimidating to some team members. Let them see who you are as an individual. Love says it’s a good idea to share what you hope to achieve, learn or advance. You can create ways for employees to interact with you and request support when they need it. She says that consistency is the first step to building leadership trust, so follow up with behaviors that match the leader you said you would be.
Engage in deeper conversations. There’s so much more to people than what’s on their resume. Love suggests looking for insights such as what values are most important to them and what those values look like when they’re in action. It can also be helpful to consider whether each employee is working in alignment with their purpose and passions.
Evaluate and align. Are there any team members at risk of resigning that you’d like to keep? As a new leader, identify what they need from you to remain engaged. Love says you can also realign people and roles when you have the data to make informed changes.
Review. Keep an open mind when reviewing the programs and projects that existed before you stepped into a leadership role. If initiatives are still relevant, Love says new bosses should confirm the right people are leading those initiatives.
Ask for insight. Your team members know what works well and what changes could be made. Ask them for their thoughts on projects, past decisions and processes. People will go the extra mile when they feel their hard work is appreciated, Love says.
As a new boss, you don’t have to bring in donuts to win over your team. Instead, you can lead your team well by following the guidance above.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Alaina Love is CEO of Purpose Linked Consulting and co-author of The Purpose Linked Organization: How Passionate Leaders Inspire Winning Teams and Great Results. She is also a global speaker and leadership expert with Fortune 500 clients.
