How to become ONE OF THEIRS among strangers.
Properly established relationships within a team sometimes matter much more than properly organized business processes. For a new specialist, and even more so for a manager, it is always difficult to start working in an unfamiliar group. Not everyone manages to quickly build the right working relationships, and some people never succeed at all. How can you work effectively when you are not supported, not understood, not accepted? Of course, there is the option of being the boss and expecting everyone else to adapt to you. After all, you were appointed because you are the best! At first glance, this may seem right, but experience suggests that this approach will not lead to the creation of a highly effective, motivated, and cohesive team capable of solving complex tasks.
Of course, there are different leadership styles. But in my opinion, if classified by goal-setting, they all boil down to two main options. The first option is when only the manager has a goal, and all subordinates are simply resources for the manager to achieve their own goal. The second option is when the goal is shared, embraced by the whole team, and the manager is a leader capable of guiding everyone toward achieving it. The first option involves forming a group necessary to reach the goal, while the second involves building a team.
Both approaches have the right to exist; the only question is which matches your personal style. How are you used to managing? What feels more natural to you? What is closer to your way of doing things?
To become a good leader, three important conditions must be met. You need to possess the necessary set of competencies to perform the job, have the required level of authority, and have the necessary personal qualities (charisma and/or evangelism). I call this the ‘Leadership Triangle.’
If any of these conditions are not met, it will be very difficult for you to be an effective leader who achieves the desired results.
As you can see, I mentioned the need to meet these conditions for a reason. If your competencies are insufficient, your new team will never perceive you as you would like. Your instructions will be met with criticism and distrust. You will find it hard to understand the real state of affairs and make timely decisions. In other words, you will not fit the position you hold. The same applies to authority. If your competencies are sufficient to make the right and necessary decisions, but your level of authority does not allow you to implement them, then those decisions are of little use. And finally, if you have sufficient competencies and authority, but, due to a lack of the necessary personal qualities, you have failed to create the right team atmosphere for collaboration, the result will most likely be unsatisfactory.
Let’s assume that you have everything in order when it comes to skills, authority, and charisma. You are a competent, experienced, responsible, and charismatic leader. What needs to be done for the team to accept you as one of their own? I have repeatedly noticed, when hiring managers, that adaptation to a new team and new conditions is least painful for those who not only start by studying the current state of their functional area, but also try to understand their employees’ motivation. After all, an employee performs at their best and is most engaged when three essential conditions are met. I call this the ‘Principle of Three Likes.’
Is the employee engaged in work they know how to do and love to do, something they are competent in? Are they working in conditions they find comfortable? A convenient workplace, not too far from home, a good team, a suitable schedule, a fair and wise leader. And finally, do they receive compensation for their work that they consider fair? If the answer is yes to all three, you can count on full commitment.
When an employee sees that a new manager genuinely cares about how well the ‘Three Likes Principle’ is being fulfilled for their subordinates, using their own level of competence, authority, and displaying personal qualities, it becomes much easier for the employee to accept such a manager. After all, a new manager is always a source of stress, unknown changes, and innovations that can disrupt the established balance of the three likes. However, when the new manager pays attention to maintaining and developing this balance, it shows that any potential changes will be harmonious rather than disruptive.
Of course, the process of adapting to a new position is complex and multifaceted. However, with the support of the team, it can proceed faster and more effectively. The principle is simple: if you want others to pay attention to you—genuinely show attention to others!
