Help! I’m new to being a team leader!

Deep breath – you’ve got this!

First of all, congratulations to being a team leader. It’s quite a responsibility, and you’re one of the ones that have been trusted with it.

Second of all, you are at the beginning of your journey. No one has everything figured out at step one. I’d like to encourage you to adopt the mindset of a learning leader – you will keep learning and reflecting, and then learning some more.

What to do in your first 30 days as a team leader?

It will be natural to feel overwhelmed at the very beginning. This is why it’s important to break down everything that needs to be done by smaller steps.

• Let’s start with meeting your team. What would you like to find out from your team members? Give them an opportunity to prepare too – think of a couple of points for your agenda and send it in advance.
• Schedule your 121s with your team members. Come prepared for them! And make notes during your conversations as you will want to refer to them later.
• Reflect on your findings from the conversations – can you identify any themes or gaps? Speak with your line manager about these findings.
• Hold a team meeting with everyone. This is your opportunity to set some expectations with your team members, and chat about what is ahead of you all.
• Schedule follow up calls with each team member to reflect on your first 121s. This is a great opportunity to establish a consistent and regular catch ups with your team. Work with them on the agenda points that you will cover in each of the sessions – keep it consistent but also flexible.

The above list may appear quite obvious. And yet there are team leaders who choose not to carry out any of these steps.

What not to do in your first 30 days as a team leader?

Setting good foundations for your team leadering is paramount. So what not to do when you are at the start of this journey?

A few cardinal rules:

• Avoid coming across like you know it all because you are the team lead.
• Don’t hide from meeting your team – they are curious about you, and you have an opportunity to show them that you need them as much as they need you
• Avoid getting drawn into gossip – about a previous team lead or anyone in the team
• Don’t put expectation on yourself and others that you will sort everything out in no time. Give yourself and people around you time. Set a sensible goal and deadline for it.

What you will and won’t do in your first 30 days will depend on your situation, team, your manager’s expectations and a whole heap of other factors.

The above is a list of suggestions. What else would you advise to a new team leader? Let me know in the comments!

Photo by Jukan Tateisi on Unsplash