Welcome To Your New Leadership Role!! Now What??

A friend of mine contacted me earlier today and asked for some feedback about starting a new leadership role.  Although he/she is been in many previous leadership positions, starting any new management role is stressful....no matter who you are!

SO YOU'RE THE NEW SUPERVISOR…

Most of us have experienced it. The new supervisor is announced and everyone spends the next few days worrying about what type of boss they will be. Rumors run wild with speculation that they are everything from a close descendent of Mother Teresa to Attila the Hun. This unproductive insanity demonstrates the significance that a leadership change means to employees. No matter what their age, tenure or role in the organization, getting a new boss is an incredibly nerve-racking experience.

DAY ONE
So it’s your first day on the job and your nervous excitement will be in high gear. All kinds of questions will be running through your mind….What will my staff be like ?? What will my boss be like ?? What will my boss expect of me ?? How will I learn what these people do all day?? Will they expect me to have all the answers ?? Where is the bathroom?? And the most important question of all…Where do I get my morning coffee??

Now, like those who have gone before you, you will have to endure your formal initiation into the leadership club. It typically goes one of three ways:

• Worst Case Scenario- Your new boss will spend little to no time preparing you for anything before sending you to the wolves.
• Somewhat Typical- The boss will just make some idle chit chat and jabber on about things that have gone terribly wrong in the department you are about to take over.
• Heaven- You will know you have died and gone to heaven if your boss spends quality time with you on your first day and actually presents you with a formal training plan to guide you through the first few months of your new position.

The Moment of Truth
Next you will be delivered to your department and presented to the team as if you were a Christmas gift from the CEO. The boss typically says a few kind words about you to your new team which only seems to set the bar even higher. Then the inevitable happens, the boss wishes you well and graciously exits the scene. Suddenly you have a flashback to your first day of kindergarten and in the awkward silence that follows, the obvious question looms….what the heck do I do now ??

What the Heck Do I Do Now?

The quick answer to this question is:

• Greet your team warmly and make some chit chat- let them know you are interested in getting to know each of them and your door is always open. Also let them know that you will be scheduling a staff meeting as well as some one-on-one discussions throughout the week.
• Make some additional chit chat and ask if they have any questions.
• Proceed to your office, cubicle or wherever you will be residing and begin getting organized so you feel comfortable in your surroundings.

The longer range answer to this question is:

• Nothing... absolutely nothing. Ok, that is really more figurative than literal of course, but if you want to have the optimum impact, you must immediately adopt the mindset that the first few weeks are all about getting acquainted with new your team and any struggles they may be facing. Although it probably seems as if you should be placing your energy on what your manager wants, remember that because you are so new, they will most likely give you a little time to get yourself established. This is the why you have to monopolize on those first few weeks and bond (yes I said bond) with your staff.

WEEK ONE

Schedule a “Meet and Greet”
Scheduling an official “meet and greet” with your employees is absolutely critical for setting the tone for the environment you wish to create. Schedule a team meeting, and bring in some goodies if possible. Food always breaks the ice. I always preferred breakfast staff meetings where I could pick up some muffins, juice, etc. It didn’t empty my wallet, and was always a hit.

The Meeting Agenda
Come to the meeting prepared with an agenda so you can keep the meeting flowing in the right direction.

Suggestions for opening the meeting:
* Ask each member of your team to introduce themselves and share the following:

• Their name and a little bit about themselves
• Something interesting or fun about themselves that perhaps not everyone knows about
• How long they have been with the organization
• The role they play on the team- often times, certain employees have been assigned special tasks each day beyond the main role
• What they like the most about their job or the organization

* Once the team has introduced themselves, it is your turn:

• Tell the team about yourself-  Be brief- no one likes to hear their new boss boast about themselves for 10 minutes. Frankly, they don’t care as much about what you have done in the past; what they really care about is what you are going to do for them in the future. So, tell them only pertinent information about your previous experience
• Describe why you are excited about your new role- Make sure it does not sound self-serving
• DO NOT make any promises that you aren’t prepared to keep- At this point, you are building a foundation and the employees must be able to trust you at your word. It is too soon for any big promises or commitments

After the Introductions

* The next part of the meeting should be a fact-finding discussion about what is going well in the department and what changes the team would like to make

• Open the topic up for discussion
• Take detailed notes

* Tell the team how you see the next few weeks unfolding

• One-on-ones to get to know each of the employees better
• Sitting with various employees to learn more about the processes for which they are responsible
• Possible small group meetings or staff meetings

* Ask the team to please keep you informed of any positive events or issues that may arise while you are getting acclimated

* Give the team an opportunity to ask any questions that they may have

Closing the meeting

• Ask the team for their assistance as you get acclimated
• Pledge your support and commitment to having an open door for all of their comments, ideas, issues, concerns, etc .- Setting the foundation for the relationship is EVERYTHING right now
• Discussion the topic of change- Keep in mind that most people fear change. Many are anticipating that you will immediately begin turning their world upside down. Make it a point to reassure them that although change is inevitable in every work environment, you have no intention of making changes just for the sake of change.

THE FIRST FEW WEEKS

Now is the time you need to put your money where your mouth is.  Demonstrate your commitment to your word.

One-on-One meetings with each member of your team
Begin setting up one-on-ones with each employee and make sure you are on time and ready to take a lot of notes.  The following are questions to help you gain insight into the employee and the work performed in the department:

• Who are your internal customers?
• Who are your external customers?
• What are the exact responsibilities of the team?
• What are your specific responsibilities?
• What are the deadlines that exist for each of the processes you perform?
• Is there anyone else that is trained to do everything you do?
• Is there any written documentation (procedures) for the work you do?
• Are there any checklists that outline the various steps for each process?
• Are you dependent on others for any information in order to get their job done ? If so, are these individuals within the team or from outside?
• Is your work sent on to another department?
• What issues or problems do you commonly encounter?
• What would make your job easier or more efficient?
• Are there any critical issues you feel need to be addressed immediately? 

 * While taking notes on what you are hearing, be sure to analyze the environment for the following:

• Does the process appear organized and relatively easy to understand?
• Are there any hand-offs to other employees or departments? If so, is it efficient?
• Are there sufficient employees cross-trained on each process in the event of unexpected absenteeism?
• Are there critical deadlines that must be met?
• Does the employee seem confident in what they are explaining?
• Is there anything about what they do that they cannot explain?

Meeting with your manager

The next step in your fact-finding mission is to meet with your manager. Tell your boss that you have met with your employees and have gathered good information and would like to gain some insights from her/him as well. If asked, feel free to provide your manager with some of the highlights from your meetings.

* Consider asking your manager the following questions:

• Who do they consider to be internal and external customers? Employees can typically articulate who their external customers are, but some don’t recognize all of the internal customers they serve.
• What areas of the department do they feel are going well and why? This will help you know what to continue reinforcing in the department.
• What areas of the department are problematic and why? This will help you to quickly get focused in the right areas.
• Are there any procedures and checklists for the work done in the department? Believe it or not, your employees may not even know this documentation exists.
• Are there specific reports available to you that highlight the quality or productivity for the work that is done in the department? Definitely a need to know.
• Is there any reporting required of you on a regular basis? You may be required to complete a daily, weekly or monthly report.
• Were there any special projects being worked on by the previous supervisor? You may be required to pick up where they left off.
• Is there anyone else they would recommend you speaking to about the performance of your department? This may be important, especially in a production environment where work is handed off from one department to another.
• Are there any specific things they would like you to begin focusing on?
• Would they like to meet with you on any specific frequency?
• How would they like you to keep them informed of issues that arise (e-mail, voice mail, face-to-face)? Everyone has their preference, so you might as well go ahead and ask.

After all of your initial meetings are concluded, compile the information you have learned and begin to formulate your thoughts about the status of the department. Make a list of the areas you feel confident about and create an “action plan” on the things you will need to immediately begin focusing on.


THE FIRST MONTH

MUST DO'S WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH ON THE JOB

• Get some exercise- Walk around frequently and just chat- You will be amazed at the information you will uncover when chatting with your staff
• Make it your goal to truly get to know your staff- Work history, job likes and dislikes, future aspirations, high level family information, hobbies, etc
• Take some notes and get to it- As issues are brought to your attention during a conversation, take a note and make a commitment to get back to the employee- THEN DO. This is a great way to build their confidence in you
• Refrain from judgements- As you start digging into the issues that are brought to your attention, be sure to get all sides of the issue. Don’t jump to any quick conclusions or judgments

WHAT TO AVOID THE FIRST MONTH ON THE JOB

• Absolutely resist the temptation to buy into the gossip you may hear from your employees. You must keep an open mind and develop your own opinions based on personal observations and experience.
• Don’t spend too much time in your office; make the rounds and chat with the team. This will set the tone that you are interested in learning or understanding what they do.
• Don’t fall prey to mimicking how other supervisors do things. You were hired for you own skills and talents and you need to create your own path for successful leadership. Each and every leader has to create their unique style.
• Unless absolutely necessary, do not make any significant changes until you have had a chance to start building a rapport with your team.
• If changes are required, make sure you include your team in the change if at all possible. This contributes to their sense of belonging and helps the team buy-in to the change.

We all know what it’s like to have a first impression of someone. You have the opportunity to make an awesome first impression within the first 30 days of your new role by showing your team that you are all about them and their success. Be present; take an interest in them and their jobs. By doing this, you will set yourself on a path of credibility and success.

THE FIRST SIX MONTHS

Cross Training
One of the best ways to find yourself in the middle of a major crisis is not having enough employees cross- trained on the various responsibilities of your department. Although you may have uncovered a number of things to start working on, be sure to be proactive and set an aggressive cross training plan in motion. You will save yourself a lot of stress down the road.

Work flow Efficiencies

Your company is paying you to provide inspired leadership to your team. This includes the expectation that you are finding creative ways to improve the quality and efficiency of the work produced in your department. Work with your employees on things like streamlining processes by cutting out non-value added tasks. It is also a great way to challenge members and see what each employee is made of.

Celebrate and Share the Credit 

Be sure to celebrate successes with your team and always share their accomplishments to your manager. Don’t be so quick to take the credit for the successes of your department. Give credit to your employees where credit is due. You are the supervisor. You will automatically get credit for creating a culture that supports creative thinking and a commitment to quality and efficiency.

Self Reflection

Time moves so quickly and before you will know it, the first week will turn into the first month and so on. It is critical that you spend time reflecting on what is going well in your department and what is not where you want it to be. Updating your “action plan” weekly will help keep you focused on the things that will make the biggest difference to your employees, your manager and your company.