We were all new once, many of us still are, and many more will be. As a new manager, you will be handling new responsibilities and you may find yourself saying…
“I just got promoted to run a new team, what do I do?”
It can be intimidating to take on a new management role without knowing what to do or more importantly how to act with your new direct reports. You may have been their peer or you could be an outside hire. It’s hard to decide which is a more difficult road to travel.
I’ve worked with quite a few new leaders in the last year. One stands out to me, as he was about to step into a new position he asked me “What advice would you give me for when I get there?”
Look, Listen, Learn – The Three Ls
I will tell you what I told him. You need to do three things in the first few weeks before you seek to make any changes. You need to understand what is going on in the organization that you are joining. You do so by following these three rules.
Look
Look at the team that you have just joined. It will be some time before this team becomes your team. It will take effort and direction to gain the trust and understanding from them. The first step is to look at what they are doing. Gain your own understanding of their processes and workflows.
- Where do they go out to lunch?
- What do they do during the day?
- How do they work?
- What are their targets?