Taking the Baton - Tips for Managing Your INHERITED Team
As a manager, have you inherited a team? If so, you've just entered the Danger Zone. Let me explain.
You are managing a team that was previously managed by someone else. This assignment comes with all kinds of hazards - here's just a few that you might encounter:
1. Trap doors, miss them and you'll fall through the floor. These are the pathways that previously facilitated productivity (e.g., processes, practices, etc.).
2. Road signs, miss them and you'll drive off the road. These are the indicators that guide the way your team works (e.g., norms, communication, coordination).
3. Infrastructure, miss the maintenance and the dam may break. These are the management styles of your predecessor (e.g., recognition, feedback, etc.).
You have a way of working that is different from your predecessor, that's fine. But the trap doors, road signs, infrastructure, and many other elements of the team have been set. You must first understand them and navigate them before determining how you might change them. Misunderstand how your team works; you could miss a hazard, turning a function into a dysfunction.
So, how can you take note of the hazards and understand them? Here are a few tips:
1. Ask the team to educate you on how things get done. Hearing from the team sends the signal that you are interested in them and their work and want to be careful about your next steps. This will not only provide insight but help your team be heard.
2. Take opportunities to observe the team in action. Watch how they work, and spot what seems to be working and what does not. Check-in with the team to learn their thoughts about what you observe. This will give you a clearer picture of what was discussed in tip # 1.
3. Shadow the previous manager, get some one-on-one time with them, or interview others who might be able to share insights from the manager's vantage (e.g., your manager, peer managers, etc.). This will help you understand those opportunities and challenges that the team will have less insight into - what worked in the past, what didn't, what they would change about the team, etc. from a management perspective.
At the outset, it's important to manage expectations with the team, acknowledging that you are different from the past manager, but that you want to be sure not to disrupt what works and to improve what needs it. This can provide you space to maneuver and space to honor what works while keeping the team on board.
It's not easy to start managing a team that existed before you took over - I hope these tips help as you navigate this very challenging context - you've got this!