Oddbean new post about login | logout Scenario: You’ve been promoted to oversee all departments in your company after just 6 months, surpassing the previous leader who had 20 years of experience with the company but struggled with change and scalability. The news will be announced to the organization tomorrow, and you’re anticipating many emotions including some shock and confusion as well as gossip from their loyal employees. You’ve done a great job building relationships and getting buy in the last 6 months. Your primary concern is your people. The org change was under an NDA so you haven’t been able to strategize with anyone regarding these changes. How will you address potential distractions and fears, and how will you unite and empower your team? What would you do first? #asknostr
Give them and make clear that there is a place, and an opportunity for feedback, of any kind. Make sure that they don't have the feeling that it's yet another of these "over your head" decisions that "just happens" that's yet another (surprise/forced) contribution to the ever-increasing chaos.
Have a meeting with the leaders. Addressing their internal conversations, fears about the change in guard, what excites them, what makes them nervous. Ask them 3 brutal facts about what needs to change in the company. Going forward set up a 1 on 1 weekly with direct reports along with a weekly team meetings.
I love the 3 brutal facts recommendation! I have a meeting set up with them on Tuesday. I thought I’d let the news settle a day, then address. I have 1x1’s on my to do list tomorrow. This is great! Thank you!
Nice! Good luck 👍🏼
If I were to take over a company like that, I would learn everything there is to know from the heads of each department. If they ask me, I tell them "For possible opportunities in the future". After that, once the NDA (if it is short) expires, then I let the people know that I took over because of corruption that was found by an employee, and I was seen as a natural born leader (for in some cases, I am in real life).
I unite and empower my team with an Iron Fist.
Listen to your people. Ask them for their thoughts. Trust them. Then empower them to make the needed change identified, and support the same. Effectively, let people know you are a safe zone where they can speak openly without fear. Let them know that, while you may not approve every idea, you will always listen and talk it through, and make a decision which is clear and quick. Don't let them suffer with indecision. Make a call. If you make the wrong decision (it will happen, you are human), you can always change your mind. Lastly, HAVE FUN!
Major corporations like to hire people for managerial positions that have little or no time at the company. It's easier to create their puppets when you give them a big raise and threaten them with demotion. The young new managers will look like the idiots they are forcing them to isolate themselves from the workers and look to upper management for support. This technique might work for a service industry but is often counterproductive for manufacturing or tech industry. I get the pleasure of dealing with dipshits from managers to engineers. I fix the fuckups.