Dear Dr. Karen,
My name is Reza, a
newly promoted manager in a growing
company. Despite the excitement it brings, I am
overwhelmed by the
complexity of this new position. My team consists of
people with different
characters, and somehow I feel that different staff
needs different
leadership style. But the problem is, I don't think I am
able to switch to
different styles all the time just to fit every
different character. I
really need your suggestion on this to help me work
effectively.
Dear Reza,
What to read: The Truth about Managing Your Career: Part
I which deals with
starting a new job. As you get more comfortable with
your group you can
read The Truth about Being a Leader Truths 28 and 32
which look at how to
adjust your leadership style.
Here are the steps that will help you to deal with the
complexity of your
new situation. It's important for you to get to know
your group collectively
and individually. Although your management may have
asked you to change some
things quickly please take the time to get to know your
group. You do this
by meeting with each of them and then as a group. When
you meet with
individuals it is important to keep what they are
telling you confidential
and anonymous. You will summarizing what you have
learned for the group.
You CANNOT repeat anything that someone has told you in
confidence. Even if
this takes you a month to do it is worth your time.
1) Face-to-face meetings: Questions to ask your team
when you are
face-to-face: a) How is the group working? b) What does
it need more or less
of to be effective? c) What would make a big difference
now for you or for
the group? d) What do you and the group as a whole need
from me as your
leader?
2) Meeting with the whole group: After you have a chance
to meet with each
member of the group you will have an idea about what is
working well and
what needs to change. This is the time to tell the group
what you learned
without revealing who said what.
3) For now, you must think of your group as one until
you get to know them
better. You need to look at the systems and procedures
that keep the group
working well. When there is no system in place you need
to do more work.
Dr. Karen
**This Ask
Dr. Karen is based on her book, The Truth About Managing
Your Career which will be republished in paperback on
July15, 2008 and available on
amazon.com.
See previous questions here!