Team Building Tips

Hi,

I was recently promoted to a team leader and now manage day to day activites for 4 team members. The team lead prior to me has left the company to bigger and better things. We are all peers and I am concerned about keeping the team productive and to make sure they respect me in my new position and do as their are told. I have a slacker / wise ass on the team, who I anticipate will be a problem for me.

I was thinking about having a meeting with the team and setting my expectations of the team. I am having issues with doing this tactfully and to make sure the team knows I mean business.

Can you offer a new team lead some advice?

I have a similar problem. I was hired into this position from the outside and my team seems very distant. I'm pretty much at a loss of what to do now.

Hi - I want to make a suggestion ref. building your new team.
One of the things you can talk about with your team is what their expectations are of you, now that you are their boss. This can be done using an on-line questionnaire (confidential), then following up with an open forum and also talk about what your expectations are of them.

Also include what you expect of yourself and what they expect of themselves. For example: "I expect of myself to be open in my communications with each of you by speaking to you in person at least once a week." "I expect you to be available to speak to me in person at least once a week."

After any questions and discussion there needs to be AGREEMENT on EACH of the expectations.

Building TRUST in your new position is essential, and making sure you follow up on all your agreed-to expectations is a great way to model the type of accountable behaviors you'd like to experience in the team.

Carol Warkoczewski
Synergy Builders www.synergybuilders.com