Who should be reading this? You recently got promoted to a manager, you are looking forward to becoming one soon or your direct report is about to become a new manager. Great, then this post will speak to you. First impressions do matter - at least in the short-term - and considering meeting your new team is not an easy introduction anyway, you might want to do everything you can to make it a great introductory meeting.
Years ago, I was a new manager and believe me, the first few days were absolutely embarrassing and painful. Since then, I have met several colleagues who have gone through similar situations and just worked it out as they went along. I hope you read this and find really useful and very doable tips to do a better job than I did when I started out.
What Goes Wrong? We are individual contributors, we don't know HOW to be a Manager! That's what goes wrong to begin with. Those above us assume we know what to do because we excelled in a previous role. This logic does not apply.
It's amazing how individual contributors are promoted to people managers (even in large and apparently well organised work places), and expected to land gracefully on their feet in this new and challenging role. Not happening. Most of of them, like me, flounder the first few months and eventually discover what works and what is obviously not working. This wastes energy and time, and moreover strains relationships with our team when it could have been a much better beginning.
Here are strategies that will help you have a smooth and comfortable all important introduction with your newly acquired team. And if you get to the end of this post, you will likely have a clear roadmap to a successful first meeting.
Be enthusiastic. It absolutely matters that you step into the beginning of your managerial journey with an open mind and a positive attitude. Smile. Shake hands or greet everyone and scan the team. Look at everyone as you sit down and keep on the smile as you do. This also shows the team that you are confident and are entering this meeting on an upbeat note.
Don't have a formal agenda. I know you must be saying, but all effective meetings need an agenda. They do, and you can have couple of points in your head to start you out. However, a written down agenda that is circulated to the team before you meet can be avoided at all cost. This helps to tone down the discomfort and anxiety your team might be feeling, and let them know this is an introduction, not a serious work meeting that will leave everyone with a pile of work at the end, but not tell them much about you as a manager and your work style.
Have an informal agenda. Going into a meeting without a plan is never a good idea, so that's not what I meant by point no. 2 above. Have your plan, but keep it informal and flexible and make it clear right at the outset. Starting by saying something like, 'I do have a few points I'd like to touch upon as we get to know each other better, but please feel free to jump in and share what might be one thing on top of your mind that we can discuss as a team or would help me to be aware of.' Be open to the agenda taking a different turn than you had anticipated, allow room for deviations and unplanned information. It's alright.
Listen hard and talk less. I can't overemphasize the importance of doing well in your first meeting simply by being an active listener. Really, no one is expecting gems of wisdom right off the bat, everyone is likely uncomfortable to some degree. Remain attentive to what's happening to the conversation. Watch your team's reaction to your opening comments and to your proposal to keep things simple and informal. Let everyone know you are happy to take questions, and this is in fact a meeting you are looking forward to listening in to more. Yes, be transparent that you might be talking much less than they anticipated. It let's the team know this meeting is as much about them as you, and that you aren't up for an assessment. You are all in this together now.
Expect some cribs and pain to tumble out. In some ways, getting a new manager is almost like getting another parent. While we don't actively think of our relationship with our managers in this way, it is THE most important relationship we will have in all of the organisation. It matters to us that our manager know our pain and area of struggle, and help us out, so we can find success and fulfillment in our roles. Let the unhappy lot have their say. New managers also attract old complainers and those who may have an axe to grind with the organisation, their previous managers or their work situations. Shutting them down won't make them go away. Plus they might be making a point you need to be aware of as their manager.
Don't feel pressured to solve problems. This is certainly not the right meeting for you to put on your solution mindset hat. In fact, be watchful of your temptation to begin providing solutions to what you may see as familiar issues you have dealt with before. Very likely you may not know the big picture of where the complaint is coming from or what might already have been done to help the person's situation. On the other hand, you may be well aware and were briefed on a certain issue beforehand by you manager, even so, hold the temptation to fix the complaint. Plenty of time to do that later and one-on-one.
End on a positive, uplifting note. Ending a meeting with a question mark and uncertainty is not setting yourself up for success for later meetings. Your team will be watching your every move. Irrespective of where the conversation may have gone, provide direction on next steps such as, another meeting with a specific agenda, one-on-ones, supplying more clarity next time you meet them, a promise to begin looking into hot issues and complaints with fairness and transparency, helping with data that the team needs urgently, or working together to enhance the overall team performance - with an emphasis on 'together'. Choose your words wisely, but make it sincere and positive.
If you take care of these basics in your first 'all important' team meeting, you might be in for a better start as a new manager than you anticipated!
Do leave comments on some of your good and not-so-good first meeting experiences.
Years ago, I was a new manager and believe me, the first few days were absolutely embarrassing and painful. Since then, I have met several colleagues who have gone through similar situations and just worked it out as they went along. I hope you read this and find really useful and very doable tips to do a better job than I did when I started out.
What Goes Wrong? We are individual contributors, we don't know HOW to be a Manager! That's what goes wrong to begin with. Those above us assume we know what to do because we excelled in a previous role. This logic does not apply.
It's amazing how individual contributors are promoted to people managers (even in large and apparently well organised work places), and expected to land gracefully on their feet in this new and challenging role. Not happening. Most of of them, like me, flounder the first few months and eventually discover what works and what is obviously not working. This wastes energy and time, and moreover strains relationships with our team when it could have been a much better beginning.
Here are strategies that will help you have a smooth and comfortable all important introduction with your newly acquired team. And if you get to the end of this post, you will likely have a clear roadmap to a successful first meeting.
Be enthusiastic. It absolutely matters that you step into the beginning of your managerial journey with an open mind and a positive attitude. Smile. Shake hands or greet everyone and scan the team. Look at everyone as you sit down and keep on the smile as you do. This also shows the team that you are confident and are entering this meeting on an upbeat note.
Don't have a formal agenda. I know you must be saying, but all effective meetings need an agenda. They do, and you can have couple of points in your head to start you out. However, a written down agenda that is circulated to the team before you meet can be avoided at all cost. This helps to tone down the discomfort and anxiety your team might be feeling, and let them know this is an introduction, not a serious work meeting that will leave everyone with a pile of work at the end, but not tell them much about you as a manager and your work style.
Have an informal agenda. Going into a meeting without a plan is never a good idea, so that's not what I meant by point no. 2 above. Have your plan, but keep it informal and flexible and make it clear right at the outset. Starting by saying something like, 'I do have a few points I'd like to touch upon as we get to know each other better, but please feel free to jump in and share what might be one thing on top of your mind that we can discuss as a team or would help me to be aware of.' Be open to the agenda taking a different turn than you had anticipated, allow room for deviations and unplanned information. It's alright.
Listen hard and talk less. I can't overemphasize the importance of doing well in your first meeting simply by being an active listener. Really, no one is expecting gems of wisdom right off the bat, everyone is likely uncomfortable to some degree. Remain attentive to what's happening to the conversation. Watch your team's reaction to your opening comments and to your proposal to keep things simple and informal. Let everyone know you are happy to take questions, and this is in fact a meeting you are looking forward to listening in to more. Yes, be transparent that you might be talking much less than they anticipated. It let's the team know this meeting is as much about them as you, and that you aren't up for an assessment. You are all in this together now.
Expect some cribs and pain to tumble out. In some ways, getting a new manager is almost like getting another parent. While we don't actively think of our relationship with our managers in this way, it is THE most important relationship we will have in all of the organisation. It matters to us that our manager know our pain and area of struggle, and help us out, so we can find success and fulfillment in our roles. Let the unhappy lot have their say. New managers also attract old complainers and those who may have an axe to grind with the organisation, their previous managers or their work situations. Shutting them down won't make them go away. Plus they might be making a point you need to be aware of as their manager.
Don't feel pressured to solve problems. This is certainly not the right meeting for you to put on your solution mindset hat. In fact, be watchful of your temptation to begin providing solutions to what you may see as familiar issues you have dealt with before. Very likely you may not know the big picture of where the complaint is coming from or what might already have been done to help the person's situation. On the other hand, you may be well aware and were briefed on a certain issue beforehand by you manager, even so, hold the temptation to fix the complaint. Plenty of time to do that later and one-on-one.
End on a positive, uplifting note. Ending a meeting with a question mark and uncertainty is not setting yourself up for success for later meetings. Your team will be watching your every move. Irrespective of where the conversation may have gone, provide direction on next steps such as, another meeting with a specific agenda, one-on-ones, supplying more clarity next time you meet them, a promise to begin looking into hot issues and complaints with fairness and transparency, helping with data that the team needs urgently, or working together to enhance the overall team performance - with an emphasis on 'together'. Choose your words wisely, but make it sincere and positive.
If you take care of these basics in your first 'all important' team meeting, you might be in for a better start as a new manager than you anticipated!
Do leave comments on some of your good and not-so-good first meeting experiences.
