Leading a New or Evolving Team

Taking on a new team or significantly expanding an existing one through hiring can be both exciting and challenging. As a leader, your ability to listen and understand will set the tone for the team’s culture and future success. This blog will outline practical steps you can take to build trust, navigate new dynamics, and lead with clarity.

Step 1: Start with Intentional Listening

When you step into a leadership role with a new or evolving team, your first priority is to understand the landscape. Resist the urge to jump straight into problem-solving or asserting your vision. Instead, focus on intentional listening. Here’s how:

1. Schedule One-on-Ones: Meet individually with each team member within your first few weeks. Use these meetings to:

   • Learn about their role and responsibilities.

   • Understand their challenges and aspirations.

   • Ask open-ended questions, such as, “What’s one thing you’d like me to know about this team?” or “What would help you be more successful?”

2. Observe Team Dynamics: Watch how the team interacts during meetings and work sessions. Who speaks up? Who stays quiet? What patterns emerge in communication and decision-making?

3. Create a Listening Framework:

   • Take notes to identify themes or recurring issues.

   • Avoid interrupting or formulating responses while others are speaking. Focus fully on understanding their perspective.

Step 2: Clarify Expectations

As you listen, your goal is to create alignment. Misaligned expectations often lead to friction, especially when a team’s dynamic is shifting. Use these tactics to establish clarity:

1. Ask for Input on Priorities: Before setting your own, ask the team about their view of the most critical priorities. This shows respect for their expertise and helps you assess their alignment with broader goals.

2. Define Success Together: In your early team meetings, collaborate to outline what success looks like. For example:

   • What outcomes are most important?

   • How will we measure progress?

   • What behaviors and practices should we embrace as a team?

3. Communicate Your Leadership Style: Be transparent about how you like to work. Share things like:

   • How you make decisions.

   • How you prefer to receive feedback.

   • What values drive you as a leader.

Step 3: Build Psychological Safety

A new leader or new hires can make some team members feel uncertain or hesitant to speak up. Fostering psychological safety ensures people feel comfortable sharing ideas and concerns. Here’s how:

1. Acknowledge the Change: Change can be unsettling. Openly acknowledge the shift and invite people to share their thoughts and feelings.

2. Model Vulnerability: Share your own uncertainties or areas where you’re still learning. For example: “I’m still getting up to speed on X. If you have insights or context, I’d love to hear them.”

3. Encourage Questions and Feedback: Actively ask for feedback and respond with gratitude, even when it’s critical. Demonstrate that all voices are valued.

Step 4: Adapt to Individual Needs

Every team member is unique. Part of understanding your team is learning how to best support each individual.

1. Ask About Preferences: During your one-on-ones, ask questions like:

   • “How do you prefer to receive feedback?”

   • “What type of support do you find most helpful?”

2. Recognize Strengths: Observe and highlight each person’s strengths early on. When people feel seen for their contributions, they’re more likely to engage and trust.

3. Tailor Your Approach: Be flexible in how you manage and communicate. Some people may thrive with frequent check-ins, while others prefer autonomy.

Step 5: Foster Connection Among Team Members

When a team is new or undergoing significant change, relationships matter more than ever. As a leader, you play a key role in fostering connection.

1. Create Opportunities for Bonding: Organize activities that allow the team to get to know one another in a low-pressure setting, such as a team lunch, virtual coffee chat, or collaborative brainstorming session.

2. Facilitate Peer Feedback: Encourage team members to share feedback and recognition with one another. This builds trust and breaks down silos.

3. Reinforce Shared Goals: Regularly highlight how individual efforts contribute to team success, creating a sense of shared purpose.

Leading a new or changing team is an opportunity to set the foundation for long-term success. By prioritizing listening and understanding, you’ll build trust, align the team around shared goals, and create an environment where everyone feels valued. Remember, your role as a leader is not just to direct but to empower—and that starts with truly hearing your team.