When the Boss Is the New Guy: How to Lead an Established Staff

It's never easy being the new kid on the block. Combine that with being the new boss, and you have a pretty stressful first day ahead of you.

When you take on a new management position, you can't always rely on an enthusiastic welcome. More likely you will be buffeted by cynicism, mistrust, cautious cooperation, and sometimes outright opposition.

Here's how to keep your chin up and become a boss that the established staff welcomes and looks up to:

• Accentuate the positive. When you first meet your employees, put them at ease with a conversational opening that emphasizes something positive about each of them. Maybe you've heard through grapevine buzz that this staff member is a whiz at spreadsheets, or that you both have a similar outside interest. When you take the time to notice positive things about people, they remember it.
• Create relationships by showing interest. Invite each of your staff members to sit down with you for a short chat. Ask them what they like best about their work and what they like least. Throughout the process, let your employees do most of the talking. This process will give you a great deal of useful information, as well as insight into the challenges ahead of you. When you have completed all the interviews, send memos thanking each person for his or her thoughts.
• Make yourself visible. Instead of sequestering yourself in your office doing paperwork for long periods, create opportunities for your employees to see you throughout the day, and greet them with a cheerful hello. The morning is an especially good time to show enthusiasm. Otherwise, your staff may feel left out in the cold.
• Demonstrate that you want your staff to succeed. Employees appreciate it when their boss clearly illustrates that he or she wants to help them develop their skills and become leaders in their own right. When you show trust in your staff, they will value your faith in them and put more effort into their work.
• Listen to anonymous venting. By giving your employees a locked suggestion box, you let them know that you're concerned about their contentment. Such an anonymous forum allows staff members to raise issues that are important to each of them. Periodically review the contents and post the suggestions on a bulletin board or discuss at regular meetings.
• Before making a change, ask for feedback. Be aware that you need to think in a collaborative way and understand your new culture before making modifications, or you'll risk alienating your staff. The best method to gain trust is to ask your employees what they think should be different and demonstrate that you appreciate their suggestions.
• Involve your employees in transformation. After you've gotten feedback from your staff, discuss your goals for change with trusted and dependable employees. Involve these staff members in a vigorous, concrete process so that your goals are completed in a timely manner. This procedure will demonstrate that you value the input of others and listen to what your employees have to say.

If you're a new manager, it's vital to your success to begin building a solid support system immediately. There's no way you can survive by being a lone ranger and operating with a "my way or the highway" mentality — the sheer unhappiness of your employees will wear you down. Make them unhappy enough and you may be left without anyone to manage, something that’s bound to make you look bad. But if you ensure that your new staff feels involved and appreciated, you and your company will soon be on the path to prosperity.