Five Things to Look For When You Start Managing a New Team

You’re joining a new business, or department, or perhaps it’s your first manager role, and you’re inheriting a new team.

There are five things to look for when you start managing a new team. These can be signs that a team has been managed poorly in the past. If you notice any of these you’ll need to take action.

Trust Issues

Trust in business is a funny thing and the manager gets a raw deal. Why? Because the manager has to prove themselves and they can not expect their team to blindly trust them. Well – it can be expected but mostly it won’t happen. Yet manager trust in the team is assumed from day one.

If a team were not trusted by their manager in the past, or they don’t trust a previous leader, then you may be inheriting trust issues.

In my experience there are two types of trust and hence, two different types of trust issues:

Manager Trust – The Team’s Trust In You

Team members who have been treated poorly will naturally be more sceptical than usual about any new leader and their motivations. As I mentioned above, this type of trust can not be assumed and must be earnt.

You will find a range of people. Those who are willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, and those who are completely closed down. Your job is to show them through action as well as with your words, that you are trustworthy.

This can be a slow process depending on the severity of the situation. In fact demonstrating trust may not even be enough to win everyone over. You probably even have to raise and discuss it. The team will be testing you to see whether you walk the walk before they will fully commit.

Breach their trust and you’re done!

Team Trust – Manager’s Trust In The Team

If the team have never been shown any trust this could bring slightly different issues to the forefront. They may be terrified to do anything without checking with you first. You may find that they bring everything to you and expect you to make all the decisions.

This indicates a lack of ownership which may translate to team members constantly waiting for you to get back to them. This is obviously not good for team productivity. When a team abdicate their responsibility they are not invested in the success of the team. Situations like this can turn into a corrosive vicious circle which must be stopped.

If you notice this happening it is smart to address it right from the beginning.

Strange Habits or Practices

We often hear about ‘weird office cultures’* such as the boss who insists that everyone drink freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast – every single day within 30 minutes of squeezing (in an effort to reduce sickness absence). Or the company in India who are extremely formal in the outfits they wear except they all wear hotel-style slippers.

When you first join a new team you may notice that they also do things in a bit of an odd way. The old leader may have had some unconventional preferences, leaving an imprint on the team. This may be more related to their processes than anything else. It’s definitely worth asking them if there are any traditions causing unnecessary work.

You may find out that team members loyal to your predecessor believe so firmly in their methods that they are continuing to use them even against your wishes. It may feel like a constant battle for you to get on top of this.

*Disclaimer: these examples may not be weird for everyone!

Hiding Things

So let’s be real, team members will want to keep some things from you no matter how good your relationship is. For example they might not let you know they are networking with potential future employers.

What I’m referring to here is hiding things which are crucial to the operation, such as mistakes, shifting project deadlines, complaints, or problems. The worst time to find out about these things is when someone else, such as your superior, finds out before you do.

If team members have been treated badly they are possibly terrified to raise issues. ‘Shooting the messenger’ is surprisingly common in business. The best thing you can do in this situation is lead with transparency and empathy. When your team have the courage to trust you – follow through on your promises.

Indoctrinated Team Members

Have you ever seen new senior leader brought into an organization only to change their entire team – out with the old guard and in with the new? There is a reason for this, even beyond the new leader wanting a proven successful team around them.

Brain washing and radicalisation can happen in business. This sounds like the preserve of a terrorist ideology, but it happens more commonly than we would like to believe. If you notice signs that any of your team members don’t have yours and the team’s best interests at heart you need to take immediate action.

Fear Of / Resistance To Change

This phenomenon is natural for humans – our built-in safety mechanisms from pre-history are still remaining. Nature is trying to protect us from danger and it prefers that we remain in a safe situation if that’s where we are now. Accordingly team members resisting the implementation of new processes or practices is not uncommon. They will often try to justify, sometimes even irrationally so, why outdated processes are still required.

We can blame this on our amygdala which is the part of the brain responsible for detecting and responding to fear in ourselves and others. Or, as Seth Godin calls it, the lizard brain. It’s still operating from a place of physical danger, which is (mostly) not applicable in the workplace, especially in office environments.

In Conclusion

When you become a new manager or move onto a team which is already formed, you may not be in a position to recruit your own choice of team members. Keep your eyes and ears open for these five things to look for when you start managing a new team. Share your personal values with your new team from the beginning and be as transparent as you can.

You may have to bring people around gently to your point of view. You really need them on side for this change management exercise. Put yourself in their shoes as much as you can, don’t bury your head in the sand when it comes to addressing issues, and together put your best foot (feet) forward!

Good Luck!

Mastering Difficult Conversations

I am giving away for free five printable mini-books entitled Mastering Difficult Conversations. These will help you in situations where you need to address complex or difficult issues.

Click here to find out more and sign up for Mastering Difficult Conversations

What Do You Think?

I would love to hear your opinions on this in the comments, do you think there are other things to look out for?

What’s your experience?