Would your team survive change?
Photo by Ross Findon on Unsplash
The new year is approaching and there is a trend I have been observing. I am lucky to have a low turnover team. I rarely get people moving out of the team 11 months of the year. But the start of the year is the time for a change. That change is usually team members moving to start new roles. No matter how good the team is and how well you treated them. They need to grow and try new things.
We also have organisational change this time of year. So, I know the first 3 months are where the growing pains will be. New members have come in and we need to train them. Tenured members have been promoted or moved to a new role in the organisation. And amongst this change, I have discovered I find this is one of the most rewarding 3 months of the year (slightly less than looking at my EOFY scorecard :) ). I enjoy the process of getting new ideas from the new hires and blending them to improve the way we work. I enjoy interviewing candidates and meeting all types of people. I get a sense of pride knowing this team boosted people's talents so they can step up in their career. Lastly, I quite enjoy solving complex people, operations and technology problems all at once, and this time of year is perfect for it.
As a manager, you are not measured when things are running smoothly. You are measured on the speed you can restore balance after disruption and improve the team's performance. The best way to do this is to ensure I plan for it. Here are the things that I focus on in the 9 months leading up to the 3 months of growing pains.
One. Avoid single point of disruption. I often see teams where there is one person that is central to the team. They have tenure and knowledge. They have deep expertise and experience and are the go-to for all team members. Although this might be good for the individual. It creates a single point of disruption for your team. It allows cross-functional teams to identify your team by this one individual which erodes value from other people in your team. If they move on then the disruption will mean you start your year on the back foot.
An easy way to mitigate this is to see your team as concentric circles instead of a pointy triangle. Having a small group of people to be your circle of excellence. Items of work get distributed to them and knowledge is shared. Then the next ring of the circle is your team members aspiring to have more responsibility. The inside circle starts to radiate knowledge to the next circle. Which in turn radiates to your last circle new starters. I have found this is the quickest way to build excellence in the team as well as encouraging a high degree of team culture and shared knowledge. There is no king/queen of the castle and the spread of knowledge makes the whole team stronger.
Two. Predict your team member departure month. This is a technique I have used for a while. It first developed many years ago out of actual fear everyone was going to get a better offer and leave. Since then I have adapted it and now when I hire people I set a date in my mind. This ensures they are always front of mind for me. I can't get complacent if they are performing well when I have a date in mind that they will leave. I may revise the date based on a deep 1:1 conversation if they share something more concrete from their plan. But I try not to change the date too often.
Having a date ensures I am focused on engaging and challenging the employee. It also means I am assessing their loss impact if they are leaving and adjusting my circle of excellence in the team. I also make a note of who their successor might be or search for one. It could be within the team, within the org or external. Having someone in mind reduces the hiring time and impact on the team.
Three. Get to know your skip levels. Promoting someone within the team usually is an easy option. Although it is not always the best option. Don't wait to get to know them and understand what their potential is only when you need to make a decision.
Invite them to set up time with you. Take them on a walking meeting, it is a great way to get them to open up about what they are passionate about. What their aspirations are and where they think they are on their career journey. You can check their fit with their managers afterwards and focus on any of their gaps. This way you will know your options and potentially have created an option.
I also like to use chat apps since I can't go for coffee walks with my team members in other cities. Having frequent conversations helps to get to know the team members. It might sound weird if you have not been in a team that operates like this before. But creating relationships will only strengthen your team. You will also have some enjoyable conversations along the way, I know I certainly do.
Four. Build resistance to change. Communicating transparently is key. I prefer to talk about potential changes coming and have an open discussion than to have all news items catch the team by surprise. Talking about changes with team members, external offers and internal offers improves resistance. Explaining the 'why' behind things helps us all understand the motivation and rationale. This builds resistance as we no longer see change as a threat. This also opens up the conversations of when they might be thinking of doing something different. You want to know this information as someone leaving might allow you to pass responsibility to the right willing person looking for more.
Although it is sad when people you enjoy working with find a new role. We know it is natural for people to move on. Be happy that you were part of their journey. And best you get planning so the rest of your team can continue moving forward with strength.
Remember that you do not need to be a passenger and wait for luck to fall by your side when the change occurs. VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) is constant and it is your job to work through it to minimise the disruption.
Note: Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.