How to win over a new team quickly
Hello everyone,
Getting into a new leadership role is always daunting, even if it isn’t the first time around.
Throughout my career, I took on new assignments every 24 months or so. In 33 years, I have worked with 14 teams in 8 different countries. Each time, I had to get out of my comfort zone and re-establish my credentials with new team members. Taking nothing for granted, I prepared myself each time as though it was my first leadership role.
Whilst the challenges you face will differ from situation to situation, the only constant will be this - establishing your character, winning the trust of your new team, and building up your credibility, often all at the same time. How well you do these things will determine your future success in the role.
When you become a leader, your focus isn’t only on developing and directing your team. Your success is defined by how well they do too. Therefore, its critical that you win over your new team members as quickly as possible.
Here are my thoughts on the things you must do to establish your character and quickly win the trust of the team.
Establish your character by doing the following:
Watch your body language and the way you speak to your team. Remember that your every move will be scrutinised and people tend to form opinions quickly.
Regulate your emotions. Your emotions will affect your actions at the workplace and they influence the reactions of others towards you. If there is something that you don’t like about your new environment, don’t display your feelings openly. Keep it under control.
Make it a point to speak and engage with everyone in your team. This is pretty straightforward. You must let your team members warm up to you as soon as possible and a good way to start is to getting to know them quickly.
To win trust, you must be able to answer the following questions that will be on their minds through your interactions and actions. Actions always speak louder than words.
Will you be able to represent their work well to people outside the department?
Is it safe to speak up when they disagree with you?
How will you react when they tell you they have made a mistake?
What values will you act on when faced with a difficult decision?
Will you throw me under the bus to protect yourself?
Trust is the single most powerful tool you have to get work done by your new team members. It’s not a game you play with them by saying one thing and doing quite the opposite. Your team members will closely observe your behaviour and will find answers to their questions in your everyday behaviour.
Final thoughts
As a leader, always remember your job is to help your team members do well in their jobs. You must demonstrate that commitment in your day to day interactions with them. When you do that consistently throughout your career, your reputation will precede you. As such, every time you take on a new role, it will be a breeze.
That’s all from me today, If you found this useful, do consider sharing it with others who might need to hear this too.
About me
My name is Jayaraj, I am a C-level business leader with over 30 years of experience in the aviation business. I am very passionate about teaching and guiding young executives to grow in their careers by sharing with them unique and practical insights. Whilst education and training is essential, I believe that sharing my life experiences will help middle management successfully transition into top management.
Well written :-)
Thanks for sharing sir. Very insightful though process to be embed in mind.