Having recently been promoted, one person told me about over-hearing someone mention getting an email from “the bossâ€, only to come to the frightening realization that she was the one being referred to! Taking charge of a team of individuals is no trivial task. After all, not only are you assuming responsibility for accomplishing the mission of that team, but as the leader you are also assuming responsibility for the people who accomplish that mission.
As the saying goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression and your first few weeks in the position will be full of first impressions. First impressions also tend to be sticky in nature and therefore hard to overcome if they are negative ones. So, what are some things you can do to help make this a smooth transition? I’m glad you asked. Here are a few tips:
Have and use a personal leadership philosophy. This document alone answers many of the questions your new team will want to know about the new boss and is particularly useful for this situation. If you used your personal leadership philosophy to help get the job, then you are probably a step ahead here. If you need a refresher on how to present your philosophy, we’ve written several articles on that topic.
Begin to get to know your people…immediately! This obvious step often gets forgotten in the excitement of taking on a new mission and the desire to start to implement all of your great ideas. Whether you schedule individual meetings or hold informal mixers, don’t short-change this step. The temptation is to think that there will always be time for this “people stuff,†but the longer you put it off the more likely is the risk of earning the reputation of being standoffish or that the job is more important that your people. Don’t get me wrong, you do have a job to do, but taking the time upfront to build a motivated and engaged team will pay dividends in the long run. Note: if you came from the same organization and know your former peers well, you might think this step doesn’t apply to you. Wrong! Now that you have the big office, like it or not your relationship has changed. Taking the time to meet one-on-one with your team will be a subtle reminder that you are the leader now.
Consider the possibility that one of your new reports wanted the job also. Ask your new boss if this is the case and who that might be. If there is someone on your team who came in second place, look for ways to leverage their strengths and show them that you value their contributions. Watch for signs of resentment. If it gets out of hand, have the discussion sooner rather than later and ask directly if they can overcome their emotions and contribute to the team. I had this situation in my first command tour with the individual who was assigned as my second in command. Ultimately, we found a position for him elsewhere which turned out to be a win-win for all involved.
Learn the battlespace. This tip makes me cringe, but knowing the politics of your new situation is unfortunately a necessity. If appropriate, schedule time to discuss the situation with the person you are replacing. Where are the pitfalls, who are the trouble-makers, what would they do differently if given the chance. Fore-warned is fore-armed. Get to know your new peers. What kind of culture are you inheriting? Making assumptions about your new team based on previous experience may be natural but can cause trouble. For example, good-natured ribbing may have been acceptable with the folks you previously worked with, but until you find out if your new charges don’t have a tendency to take things too personally you might want to hold off on the joking around.
Learn your job. Even if you were THE subject matter expert in your field, I can guarantee that you have a lot to learn about your new position. Ask questions, lots of questions. Doing so not only reduces the amount of unknown unknowns, it also shows your people that you aren’t one of those unapproachable know-it-alls but rather that you are someone who values their experience and expertise. In fact, in the early stages of your new position you should make a point of over-communicating which includes that all important LISTENING.
Taking over as the new boss doesn’t have to be traumatic; for you or your people. Following these tips as a minimum and communicating much more than normal should get you off on the right foot.