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Hello Manager Tools!
As a new manager, being put in charge of 18 people next week in a new job, I'm not sure what "rules" from the podcasts: Fit In, One on Ones, or Team Size.
I've been leading small teams for a while, so leading effective groups isn't new to me (even though I wasn't a MT convertee until it was too late for those teams). I've been given a great opportunity to work for some folks that I have worked for previously as an individual contributor. They have asked me to lead an engineering team composed of 4 disciplines (Test, QA, System Engineering, and Sys Admin).
So, here's the conundrum: I firmly believe in the 3 month rule (no new initiatives, fit in, do O3's). However, having 18 direct reports is probably too many for me to manage in my first full-fledged management job.
Here are the options as I see them:
1) Fit in. Wait 2-3 months to identify team leads. Institute O3's with the leads.
2) Identify team leads immediately (early change, not fitting in), start O3's with the leads, fit in for the remaining 2-3 months.
3) Fit in. Institute O3's immediately with everyone (yikes! Maybe every other week). Wait 2-3 months to identify team leads. Back off O3's to just the team leads.
What would Manager Tools do?
Thanks for your help MT Community! It's greatly appreciated!
Not 3
Starting and then stopping O3s is a bad idea. You run the risk of having people feel abandoned, hurt, ignored, alienated because all of a sudden the boss doesn't find them important enough to talk to.
Eighteen directs is a lot of people, equals 9+ hours per week of your time. However, if you are serious about being effective, I'd start them with everyone. What better way to find your stars than to meet with each one. You might find that current leads are not the "right" leads.
Don't sell yourself short. Doing O3s is a new initiative, but it doesn't have to be a "big deal". Send out the e-mail, schedule them all (maybe over 3 days) and get going. If you are expected to write performance reviews on all 18 people, they are all important enough for an O3. I'd start them immediately. People expect some amount of change with a new boss, so give them a very positive change.
Good luck!
Thanks ACAO!
Couple of clarifying comments.
There currently aren't any leads for the 4 functional areas. Without changing anything, all 18 may look to me for day to day tasking. Of course, it's probably a little different, but the program is standing up leadership where there hasn't been any in a long time, so there's no incumbant leadership (if you will).
Also, I would only "stop" O3's for those that were no longer my Directs, but have become my Skips due to addition of a lead for one of the functional areas. I suppose it's possible to call someone a "lead" for the functional area and then not give them the management responsibility, but I've always felt that form of management doesn't work in the long run, and leads to confused roles / responsibilities.
leadership
have just been appointed as the new branch manager of my company.
please how do i start and how are the procedures of scheduling for a weekly meeting
and how to satisfy your staff.