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You could have a lot on your plate as a new team leader.
Whether you are taking over an existing team or forming a new one, leading a team for the first time might be daunting. Personal experience is not a reliable starting point. It’s probable that, as a new team leader, you are either relishing the challenge, considering quitting, or both. Furthermore, more teams are embracing remote work or a hybrid approach that combines working from home and the office. New leaders have a lot more to deal with these days.
1. Set aside time for leadership
To be effective, team leaders need to put in time for their roles. The new leader is set up for failure because, far too often, this task is just added to someone’s already long to-do list.
The team has to be able to reach you and see you as their leader. One aspect of your new leadership role involves fostering a positive company culture and sense of belonging. If you are primarily focused on your own significant, practical tasks, you will not be as visible or able to help your colleagues. Therefore, take sure to assess and renegotiate your workload before taking on a leadership role in the first place.
2. Get to Know Your Group
The main responsibility of a leader is to inspire their team to achieve their objectives. You’ll struggle with this if you don’t get to know your team members and their motivations. Despite the need to jump right in and begin making significant changes right immediately, you are not there to boast.
Take the time to listen to your team members, find out about their objectives and problems, gather ideas, and assess the potential benefits and drawbacks of your team. Only then can you create a leadership plan that has a chance of succeeding. Getting to know the team is the first step to building a relationship with them and gaining their trust and respect. The adage “listen twice as much as you speak” still holds true in this situation.
Talk to everyone on your team, especially those who might be struggling. For novice team leaders, brief check-in meetings lasting ten to fifteen minutes once or twice a week are effective. To help people schedule appointments and contact you if they need help or simply want to speak, you can even put up “office-hours” on your calendar.
3. Communicate often
After your team is up and running, it’s critical to keep in touch in order to build relationships, assess progress, and identify risks and issues. This is particularly helpful for managing remote teams, where employees could be secluded in their own little work bubbles. Effective and regular communication is often associated with higher team engagement for new team leaders. They act in this way because they think you are spending time with them and are interested in what they are doing.
Consistent communication can also improve the kind of conversations you have with your team. For instance, you have more authority to specify roles and responsibilities precisely so that everyone knows who is in charge of what, why, and by when. Don’t assume that everyone is as knowledgeable about the project as you are, even if it might seem obvious.
Encourage and accept new ideas. If your team can contribute more to the project, they will be happier. Express gratitude to your team members and let them know they are appreciated when they do well. Your employees will be more content, more receptive, more efficient, and prepared to lead future projects and activities.
It’s important to think carefully about how you interact with your staff. It’s simple for novice team managers to check in too frequently or overcompensate for the distance involved with remote work, which can lead to distrust and decreased team productivity. Offer true and truthful assistance.
4. Lead by Example
Think about the behavior you expect and want from your team members. Make sure you yourself have these attributes. As the team’s role model, your words and deeds will have an impact on the group’s attitudes and work habits. However, having self-confidence and being genuine are essential. You will soon lose credibility and trust if you pretend to be someone you are not.
Be direct, honest, and passionate. You will be treated the same way if you treat every team member fairly, dignifiedly, and without favoritism. Show the same deference to the other members of the organization. Never denigrate or criticize other individuals or departments in front of the team. Make it clear that everyone is aiming for long-term success and the same goals.