4 Things Leaders need to do when Adopting a Team
I've been in your shoes before—you know, when you're adopting a team? It's always a bit scary at first, but it can be gratifying too. If you do it right, you'll be able to establish trust with your directs and business partners, build team culture, and find gaps and opportunities in your business. Whether you’ve inherited a mess or been hired from the outside, you need to maintain stability while moving ahead to ensure you build a high-functioning team.
The following are a few tactics to consider when adopting a team. This isn't intended to be a comprehensive list; rather, it's a list of things you need to address right away.
Look towards the future, today
When things don't go well, it's easy to blame your predecessor. However, the team needs leadership that moves them forward, not one that dwells in the past. To do this, it starts with creating a vision and identity that speaks to how you want to show up today.
Choosing a new team name is one of the most fun things I've done with a new team. It's such a simple activity that seems insignificant, but the camaraderie that results is priceless. A year ago, my new team voted on everything from team names to themes songs to logos. They even created zip-up fleece jackets with this new team name and logo and wore them proudly in front of customers, at conferences, and at internal presentations.
It is even more imperative to share your vision and values as you move forward. Let your team know what you would like to achieve together - your shared vision - and what values you hold dear. In one situation, we had a competitor encroaching on our territory and materially threatening our revenue, so I wanted my team to focus on beating them. To do that, I needed them to embrace a "startup" mentality where everyone must continually up-level their skills, collaborate on solutions, and find creative ways to solve problems. I communicated my future vision once I understood the dynamics of the team and the business needs, which is the next tactic below.
Understand the team dynamics and business needs
As a team leader, I spend a lot of time getting to know not just what the team does, but how they do it as well. This allows me to understand how team members interact with each other and how their individual goals and objectives align with the team's objectives. By uncovering any potential issues, I can ensure that the team is working towards a common goal and that everyone is contributing in their own unique way.
Through 1:1 meetings and "Start, Stop, Continue" exercises, you'll be able to quickly determine what and how your team is doing. You'll learn who people turn to for knowledge gaps, ingrained limiting beliefs that they may hold, and perhaps who's not pulling their weight. When I find loose threads, I pull them to see what unravels. By knowing this, you can quickly formulate a plan to move forward.
Assess the relevance of past initiatives in today’s environment
In Peter Drucker’s book, Landmarks of Tomorrow, he said “The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence. It is to act with yesterday's logic”.
Your team members will have egos tied to various projects and initiatives they've run. As the new leader, your job will be to objectively understand each of these and how they contribute to your team's future. It is possible that you will continue with some of these projects, but others may need to be stopped. As these projects are connected to their career progression, project owners may be resistant to change, requiring some difficult conversations. As an example, I had to explain to a team member how one of his customer initiatives he had been running for the last two years was not yielding sufficient revenue and thus needed to be discontinued so the team could focus on more pressing matters. You can expect to have many difficult conversations in the course of your assessment of these initiatives.
Build trust with your business partners
It's also imperative to know who you need to work with to get things done when adopting a team. As I've managed teams that were responsible for technical pre-sales, one of my most influential business partners has been the sales department. To build a strong partnership and trust with this team, I strive to understand their objectives and goals and be proactive in helping them meet their targets. I also make sure to keep them informed of any changes that might impact their business and I am available to answer any questions or provide support when necessary.
The process of adopting a team can be one of the most challenging and gratifying parts of your leadership journey. If you would like to comment more on this topic, feel free to do so below. If you would like to receive coaching, feel free to contact me for a free consultation.