New job....new team.
Discussion
Despite planning a summer of lounging around, I seem to have landed a pretty good job starting next Friday. The only thing I'm slightly apprehensive about is the taking over of a new team. Their current manager doesn't know he's leaving yet, and the team won't find out until they're taken to the board room to meet me, while he's being dismissed by HR due to poor performance.
I'm aware that they will have built up a relationship with their manager over the 18 months he's been there, and I'll be viewed with suspicion and possible resentment initially.
Any advice on how to deal with this? Anyone here been in a similar situation?
I'm aware that they will have built up a relationship with their manager over the 18 months he's been there, and I'll be viewed with suspicion and possible resentment initially.
Any advice on how to deal with this? Anyone here been in a similar situation?
Generally teams don't like poor bosses.
Just explain to them in clear English what you expect from them in order to do a good job. Explain that you'll make plenty of time to listen and understand what they need to be put in place in order for them to do a good job and act on it.
Just don't try and bulls
t, they'll smell it a mile off.
Just explain to them in clear English what you expect from them in order to do a good job. Explain that you'll make plenty of time to listen and understand what they need to be put in place in order for them to do a good job and act on it.
Just don't try and bulls
t, they'll smell it a mile off.SlimRick said:
Despite planning a summer of lounging around, I seem to have landed a pretty good job starting next Friday. The only thing I'm slightly apprehensive about is the taking over of a new team. Their current manager doesn't know he's leaving yet, and the team won't find out until they're taken to the board room to meet me, while he's being dismissed by HR due to poor performance.
I'm aware that they will have built up a relationship with their manager over the 18 months he's been there, and I'll be viewed with suspicion and possible resentment initially.
Any advice on how to deal with this? Anyone here been in a similar situation?
I've been on the other side, a team member in a team with a terrible team leader. Best advice I can give is listen to the teams problems and try and come up with a solution to fixing it without promising the world. I guess also the issue might be if the boss got dismissed are they up for the chop? Chances are if they're firing him he's a knob and they don't want him anymore either. I'm aware that they will have built up a relationship with their manager over the 18 months he's been there, and I'll be viewed with suspicion and possible resentment initially.
Any advice on how to deal with this? Anyone here been in a similar situation?
Is it an IT/Software team by any chance?
Personally I'd start informally.
Introduce yourself, say you will want to learn about the business, hear their concerns and aspirations, your door is always open, will arrange informal 1:1s over the coming week with them all, etc. Depending on how many people, ask for a quick round table of introductions so you can put a name to a face as they have the advantage of only needing to remember one new face, etc
Any burning issues that need sorting out in the next few days you are always available on x number.
Introduce yourself, say you will want to learn about the business, hear their concerns and aspirations, your door is always open, will arrange informal 1:1s over the coming week with them all, etc. Depending on how many people, ask for a quick round table of introductions so you can put a name to a face as they have the advantage of only needing to remember one new face, etc
Any burning issues that need sorting out in the next few days you are always available on x number.
ffc said:
Management 101 - Treat your staff as you would want to be treated yourself and manage each person individually. Some need lots of input, others light touch. Be prepared to do both and do what you say you will do, don't promise to deliver and fail.
Be careful with that one, you might not want to take it literally unless you want a quick way out of the job. 
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