What do you do if you're struggling to manage a team in Corporate Communications as a new leader?

O líder é o maestro. A diferen?a é que numa orquestra todos os membros têm qualidades técnicas musicais que beiram a excelência, e num time de comunica??o nem sempre isso acontece. Aliás, muito raramente. Ent?o, o maestro tem que ser sábio para identificar os pontos fortes de cada um, e fazer com que cada indivíduo entenda que está sendo prestigiado em fazer parte do time. A identifica??o de for?as e fraquezas é o ouvido do bom maestro. Ora, deve-se ser rígido e trocar o músico. Noutras vezes, compreensivo, ensinando-o a tocar. E, claro, aprendendo com as competências de cada um.

As a new leader in Corporate Communications facing team management challenges, start by building strong foundational relationships with each team member. Schedule one-on-one meetings to understand individual strengths, challenges, and career goals. Establish clear communication by setting transparent expectations and defining goals collaboratively. Foster an environment that encourages open feedback and mutual support. Utilize team-building activities to enhance cohesion. Consider leadership training to refine your management skills. Regularly reflect on and adapt your approach based on team feedback and outcomes, ensuring continuous improvement in leadership effectiveness and team performance.

In Comms Teams, soft skills such as Effective Communication, Trust and Creativity are even more important than in any other teams. Thus, as a newcomer lead, I would take the first weeks to create a safe space for my team to understand each members capabilities, triggers, fears and expectations. To do so, an open first conversation in which you listen to them, together and in 1&1 conversations, is vital and very positive. It’s important that they see you as a supporter, not an enemy. And that they have a clear view of your expectations from them. Openness and active listening is crucial to build a positive environment.

Don't be afraid to ask for input or advice. I've reached out to mentors, people of worked with in the past, on numerous occasions asking if I could take them to lunch or set up a brief call or even exchange ideas over email. And they are often more than happy to help. You don't have to make this up or do this alone. There are people out there who will be happy to help you. Sometimes, all you need is a nudge in the right direction, a different perspective, or a bit of encouragement. I wish you tremendous success!

I've seen many highly skilled senior communications people fail when promoted into roles requiring people management. Why? The skills and attributes that got them noticed - creativity, ability to take risks, a deep understanding of client's businesses and their audiences - are suddenly worthless, replaced by endless meetings with finance, HR, and poorly performing individuals and teams. How do I know? It's happened to me several times. To avoid this, employers need to split the tasks of people management (account managers), project management (project managers), and leadership (senior people who can inspire and delight). If you're a leader who is asked to manage, think twice about accepting what, for many, can be a poisoned chalice.