10 THINGS EVERY NEW MANAGER NEEDS TO KNOW
Whether you've been promoted from within or you're new to the company, make
sure you meet with your team to talk specifically about how you're going to work
with them as manager and employee (or team leader and team member). If you
don't, there will be clashes later on.
Clearly define your role
within the team.
Example: Do you have
direct responsibility for their
performance or are you giving
input to their boss on their
performance? Be sure to spell
that out.
Discuss how you will work
together, what your employees
can expect from you and what
you can expect from them.
Example: Are you a hands-off
manager or do you like to be
more closely involved? How
should your team communicate
to you on day-to-day issues?
How frequently will you meet as
a team?
Set the stage for working
together collaboratively.
Example: Tell them you're
interested in their thoughts and
ideas. (Be genuine about this!) Ask
for their input on current issues
and really listen to what they have
to say.
Most conflict within project teams can usually be traced back to poorly defined roles and fuzzy
expectations. People start squabbling, "Hey, I'm in charge of this!" Or, "You're not the boss of me!" When
you do sit down with them, cover these essentials:
It's better to have this meeting early on, but even if time has passed and you haven't talked with them, it's never
too late. Start with an apology for not having done it sooner, then dive right in. This kind of stage setting will save
you a lot of trouble in the long run. Without it, you'll always have confusion and conflict over roles and expectations.
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6
CLARIFY ROLES
AND SET
EXPECTATIONS
EARLY ON
2
