Laying a Foundation: How to Build Relationships as a New Manager of an Existing Team
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Key Takeaways
To successfully build relationships as a new manager, you must listen with the intent to understand rather than to reply, prioritizing regular one-on-one meetings.
Navigating legacy team dynamics requires absolute transparency, consistency in your actions, and a willingness to be honest about limitations.
Don’t make employees guess your management style; clearly communicate expectations, workflows, and changes to reduce friction and employee pushback.
Building strong colleague relationships with peer managers provides crucial support, mentorship, and insight into how the broader company operates.
Table of Contents
Navigating the interpersonal aspects of a company isn’t a straightforward task. But don’t fret, many of the above challenges can be turned into positives simply by focusing your approach towards cultivating healthy work relationships with your direct reports. Read on to explore some of the best ways to build relationships as a new manager of an existing team.
Make Time for One-On-One Meetings to Build Relationships as a New Manager
You might be overly eager to develop relationships with your team, and that’s okay.
However, the most important thing you can do is speak to every team member individually and just listen with an intent to understand rather than listening with an intent to reply. Let them explain team dynamics, roles and responsibilities, and department history. Use this as an opportunity for them to get acclimated with your leadership style and your commitment to listen first, make changes later. Continue to hold one-on-one meetings (whether that’s weekly or once a month), and let the team know you care about their personal career goals.
Conduct Team Development Meetings to Build Relationships as a New Manager
Especially at the beginning, it’s vital to bring everyone together – not only to witness how the team interacts but to solidify your role as the new head honcho of the team.
Take note of how your new team works together – is there camaraderie and connection? A strong team dynamic is crucial to work success and promotes productivity. Make sure to have a written agenda and allow for individuals to present updates in their area to empower them and gain insight at the same time. You might also consider jazzing up your team meetings by:
Celebrate Core Achievements: Boost morale by publicly highlighting individual milestones and collective team wins.
Change the Scenery: Move meetings off-site occasionally to break up routine and encourage more candid conversation.
Host Learning Roundtables: Establish educational group syncs where team members can swap industry knowledge.
Leverage Insightful Media: Watch a highly relevant TED Talk together to anchor your scheduled meeting agenda.
Get Leadership Support
Don’t forget one of your best resources is your new boss.
In many cases, your boss will have seen your team’s work habits and can bring the distinct advantage of knowing what your predecessor did well (and what they struggled with). Ask questions, not only about your goals, but about what your boss would like to see accomplished by the team. Now’s the time to make clear your approach in managing your new team as a highly engaged leader, and get your boss’s buy-in.
Build Colleague Relationships as a New Manager
As you meet other managers in your organization, work to identify those who will be a good resource for information and support (as well as mentorship).
Frequently Asked Questions
At nearly 3,000 employees and growing, Personiv is large enough to scale big programs, but small enough to offer nimble, one-on-one attention. Our process ensures that we will never miss a step so we can scale your program to match your goals.
Each client’s program is individualized for their needs, goals, and success. We work within our clients’ tools and systems, while setting them up for long-term growth, giving individualized planning, attention, and follow-through.
One of the biggest concerns for companies starting to outsource is quality. At Personiv, we understand that your brand is the life blood of your organization, and your customers are your top priority. You don’t have to skimp on quality to decrease cost, and you don’t need to relinquish your processes and tools to outsource.
We only hire, train, and retain the best talent in the areas where we work. Whether in our India or Philippines locations, Personiv is known as a top employer, allowing us to gain the best employees to work for our clients and saving time and money.
We offer each of our customers with an upper-level, dedicated program manager always ready to answer the call. Based in Austin, Texas, Personiv provides one-on-one service, giving you peace of mind while we focus on quality as you scale.
