As a new manager, you or someone you know may be looking for advice or information to assist them with how to establish a team culture. Team building and creating a cohesive culture may be most important for new leaders.
In fact, I received a question from someone in that situation just a few days ago:
Dear Sean,
I am going into a management position at a hotel, and will be in charge of about eight people who have been there for years. I want to know how to get them on my side ,but also to keep my authority. How should I approach our first meeting to lay down the law in an acceptable manner?Thanks for your response.
A New Boss
I hope the following ideas are useful to you, and encourage you to share them with others who may be in a similar situation.
First, being “coachable” and reaching out for assistance and ideas is a sure sign of wisdom and the shortest path to achieving success.
And let me first suggest that leadership, at its core, is not an adversarial relationship. Instead of getting employees on your side—or laying down the law—I believe your first step is to learn more and clarify a few things regarding your position. While authority has put you in a position, influence is what you should seek. As John Maxwell suggests, “Leadership IS influence.”
Don’t enter your role as new boss with the intent of barking out demands. Instead of treating people only like employees, ask for your team’s input and open the door for them to accept ownership for the success of your department.
Also, leadership begins with AWARENESS. Perhaps you should begin with asking yourself (and your team) a few questions…
- What specifically is your department responsible for?
- How will the organization measure your “success?”
- What skills and personalities do you now have on your team?
- Are there any issues they have experienced that led to your hiring?
- What can you do to help them succeed in their roles?
Being part of a TEAM is less about command and control and more about looking and listening, then empowering and encouraging others to play their role in accomplishing a compelling common goal.
It is your job, first and foremost, to DEFINE expectations. You can do this in a short meeting with those who will be on your team. Be clear about what you (together) are expected to deliver, and then allow them to offer answers to the questions above.
Write down standards that your team agrees on. As Coach K found when he did this with the Team USA basketball athletes, your team will often demand more of themselves than you would have—and they will be far more likely to follow through and hold themselves accountable if the ideas were theirs in the first place.
Once your team knows what needs to be accomplished, and once you have determined that you have the right people in terms of values and work ethic, then you can begin to place them in the right seats and assign roles based on their strengths and team personality types.
Finally, be sure to continue to provide opportunities for the team to build connections—not only connections to each other, but connections to the larger organization that allow them to feel that their efforts are worthwhile and important in the bigger picture. I encourage you to consider a fun team development day that will provide laughter and lasting lessons. (You can also find a number of free printables and other team building resources on my website.)
Remember: You will create a far more effective team culture as a new boss if you are authentic and honest in your first encounter with your team. Listen and learn, then empower and encourage. Be sure to use your first meeting to introduce yourself and share your sincere desire to help them succeed. Learn about their dreams, desires, and difficulties.
Get them excited about what can be accomplished and how their efforts will positively affect others. Paint a picture of hope, and then find out how you can help them add skills that will benefit them on future teams. And never let them go home without feeling that you appreciate having them on your team!
Stay in touch, and let me know how things are going.
