Leadership Tea
The Leadership Tea podcast is where powerful leaders share their journeys, insights, and triumphs through informal conversations about what it takes to reach the executive level. Join us every other Wednesday to be inspired by the unvarnished stories of amazing executives who know what it's like to be "the only" at the table and who have succeeded regardless. They have proven leadership experience in their respective fields, from international affairs to the private sector to academia, and want to help others create their own success stories.
Leadership Tea
Reading the Tea Leaves: Creating Your 90 Day Plan
From crafting a rock-solid foundation to fostering trust and credibility, we discuss different angles to ensure that you're not just surviving but thriving when transitioning to a new leadership role. Our candid discussion reveals how to navigate the intricate dance of change management, the finesse required in transitioning from colleague to commander, and the importance of aligning your vision with the heartbeat of your team. Together, we unpack the strategies that have worked for us.
In this episode, we grapple with the tough conversations around pay raises, financial restraints, and the dynamics of managing former peers.
This journey is as much about you as it is about us, and your feedback plays a critical role in shaping our content. Your voice is the compass that steers our conversation, helping us create a community where every episode is a dialogue of shared experiences and collective growth. So join us, and let's ascend the peaks of leadership together.
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Hello everyone. It's Belinda here with Shelby, hey everyone, and today we just wanted to think about what it means when you are at the beginning of your tenure in a particular position, in a leadership role, and the question we were thinking about to start that is what does the first 90 days in that role look like? And I think we both were going to give our perspectives on, in our view, what does it mean to lead a team for the first 90 days and take it from there? You want to start, shelby.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sure. So, as Belinda said, we were thinking about how to give some tips and elaborate on our experience in starting new roles as a boss, around the theme of you're a boss Now. What are you doing to set the tone? What are you doing in those first 90 days in a new leadership role where people are looking to you for guidance, looking to you to get a sense of who you are as a person? How are you making your mark? How are you establishing a first impression on the people who are looking up to you to lead them, to lead them? And so I will start by reflecting on the first time that I had a sizable team to lead.
Speaker 2:I was nervous. I was nervous because I wanted to do a good job and I wanted to gain the trust of the people that I was responsible for. So one of the first things that I did I'm a nerd when it comes to leadership and management in terms of reading books and doing research and looking at blog posts or listening to podcasts on leadership and tips for running effective teams and so I remember one of the first things that I did was to read a book. I can't remember the exact name of it, but it was something to the effect of on becoming a boss, like how do you want to set the stage for people to believe in what you're saying, to demonstrate credibility and to make sure that you're being a boss without necessarily being bossy? So, again, one of the first things I did was to do research and read books on management and leadership tips. The other thing that I did was to research the office in terms of the substance that we were expected to master and carry out.
Speaker 2:What is the mission of this office? And I think that's really important for any leadership role. You don't want to start by saying, okay, I'm going to come in, I'm going to change this, I'm going to change that, when you're clueless as to how the office has been functioning without you before you arrived. And so one of the things that I prioritized was really getting to know who are the people that I'm responsible for. What have they been working on?
Speaker 2:Because the worst thing that you can do as a leader is to go in and immediately start changing things without having a sense of what is the current landscape, what is working well, what might need to be tweaked, what is the foundation upon which I'm building.
Speaker 2:I think that's really important. And then, what is your vision? What is it that you want people to know about you? And so one of the things that I did was to send a message to the team just introducing myself. This is who I am, these are my leadership values, this is how you can manage me Some of my quirks, not going into a whole lot of detail, but I wanted to make sure that I communicated to the team what they could expect from me and where my head was, because it's important for people to hear directly from the leader in terms of where their heads are and what their expectations are and what their objectives are for the team. So I think I'll stop there so that we can hear from you, belinda, and then we can continue asking each other questions, but wondering how you have approached the first 90 days of leadership roles that you've had in the past.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, thank you, and I think my approach has been very similar to yours. The first time I had a team that I was going to manage, I actually wrote out a 90-day plan. I spent a great deal of time before assuming that role, similarly like researching, reading, learning about best practices, taking everything I knew about the role and about the place and the space and thinking out what did I want to do in each week of those 90 days and who did I want to talk to. And I understood that I was going to tweak it. But it just gave me a roadmap.
Speaker 1:I can't say I've done that every time I've changed roles, but there have been a few really big milestone moments when I have. I think for me I'm a big. It was interesting to hear you say that you would normally send out a message. For me I'm more comfortable with verbal communication and just that message, that same message that you sent. I use, like first staff meeting or a big town hall or just a kind of a big environment to communicate that.
Speaker 1:What I like to work on in those first 90 days is one understanding my leadership chain's expectations for the role in the team. I find that often leadership's expectations and what they set down for you in those initial days is like, hey, this is what I need you to do with that team. It's usually very different than where the team is and so that's an immediate, difficult place to manage and make work and then building trust. And so I like to walk lead by walking around, to go to people's desks, go to where they are, see where people are in the cafeteria or the cafe or whatever, and just be where the people are so that I can sit down with you and look you in the eye and just humanize myself a little bit, understand where you're coming from and just try to build a little bit of rapport. I've had to, over the years, learn in that first 90 days that, as people in those initial first few weeks begin to trust a little bit or see you as a sign of hope.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Because it's like a new boss, maybe things can change, or whatever. It is a sign of hope. Yeah, because it's like a new boss, maybe things can change. Whatever it is that needs to change.
Speaker 1:Waiting Right that 90-day marker is really important because people will come to you with issues that sound very urgent, but you don't have full context and you only have their side of the story. And so I've had to teach myself over the years to say noted, I'll take note of that. That does sound serious. Let's revisit that in a few days, weeks, months or I'll look into it and not to immediately react. I've mistakenly done that sometimes.
Speaker 1:Like you, I've just worked on really understanding the key roles that I'm now managing, or, if possible, all the roles. So really sitting down, observing people, sitting with them, talking with them about the obstacles in their job or what's working, the obstacles in their job or what's working well in their job. I, like you, avoid making changes immediately, and I also need to understand the politics and the dynamics that are happening, that this space is operating within right, and who can I build alliances with? Just beginning to feel that out and understand that. So all of those things put together help me to think about what it should look like after that 90 days and in a perfect world.
Speaker 1:What I've done with teams in at least three or four places is use that 90-day marker to hold a retreat, some kind of like off-site, to say here's what I observed Right In a perfect world where the flow of work is allowing me to think Right and to communicate those thoughts in a very deliberate way to people, to organize a retreat, but to take a day and say here's what I've observed and here's what I think we should do as a result of those observations. What do you all think? Fill in the blanks when am I getting this wrong? What am I missing? And those conversations have been really useful. So it's not necessarily that we decide the strategic plan right then, but it's where people get to see where my gaps in learning are and help contextualize and fill them in a way that's very transparent for everyone.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that makes sense. I like what you said about having that personal contact and walking around. That's also something that I've done. I think it's really important for people to be able to reach out and touch you right and not feel like, oh, you're over there in your ivory tower, you're not really connected to me. I have to come to you each time I want to meet with you. That's not the impression that I want to give to the people who are following me. I definitely want to make sure that they understand that I'm accessible. I don't want to have pen pals with everyone who is within my chain of command, but at the same time, I don't want them to have this perception of me of being so boss and what your presence means, whether it's in a meeting, whether it's at a party, a reception, whatever.
Speaker 2:One of the things that I have done in my current role in terms of getting to know the people on my team is to make guest appearances at their staff meetings, and this has caused a little bit of consternation with some folks who are like wait, whoa, why is the boss coming to my staff meeting? And it's been a good reminder to me to over-communicate something that we were talking about before starting this episode, making sure that I'm telling my staff what is the why behind what I'm doing, even something as simple as going to a staff meeting, and I've had to explain to them. I don't need you to prepare specific talking points or a special agenda for me. I'm not around because this will help me acclimate myself to the mission. This will help me learn the day to day substance of what you all are working on.
Speaker 2:I don't need you to put on a special performance. I really just want to be here and get to know you. That is something that I've done in the first 90 days of my current position and in my last position to really put myself at eye level with my team, to get into the substance of what they work on and to also observe firsthand what are the team dynamics. Are there things that I should be aware of that aren't spoken Like? What does the office, climate and environment look like? Are there things that I need to be picking up, subtle cues that are not necessarily conveyed in a briefing paper or a memo, that you can only pick up on by being around the people that you're supervising?
Speaker 1:No, I completely agree, and I think the walking around piece, it's just, it's never led me astray.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like it. Just it's really good. I also always want to get a pulse on things that are obstacles for people or small annoyances before they become blowups.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And before they become like an issue that's impacting the culture of the organization I was, that person was am like I'm a rebel, Like I always start. Yeah, we should. If there's going to be a protest, like I'm starting it, and so I know me and I know there are more me's out there, but when you are the boss, you don't want you don't want me starting stuff, so you want to find those folks and who are going to help, keep, help you stay informed about the pulse of the team in a way that's too biased or trying to take advantage of their access to share that.
Speaker 1:But, yeah, like walking around allows you to run into somebody. I think about once I ran into someone who walked through the front door. I was as I was walking out and they were like sweating and they were like panting and I was like, oh, are you out exercising? Like no, I had to park really far because not enough parking spots and I had to park blocks away and it's hot and I was like, oh, there aren't enough, I get here early.
Speaker 1:I didn't splash. I didn't know that was an issue. Oh, is there a parking issue? It turns out there's a major parking issue. Oh, okay, can we fix it? Actually? No, okay, but now I can at least communicate that to people. Hey, I'm aware, here's what I've done, here's who I've spoken to, here are the constraints, here's what we can do to alleviate things, but here's what we can't do right, and here are some solutions. You may not like all of them, but just you're. We're clear. Here's all the options on the table, what works best for us as a community there it is there, it is.
Speaker 1:It's like the other piece. I think I would say and maybe this is just generally, but also in that first 90 days that it's just really important to speak to the elephants in the room.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like they're just, they're going to be issues that just seem untouchable and that we can't talk about and nobody ever mentioned issues that just seem untouchable and that we can't talk about and nobody ever mentioned. And so when you're new, you have this opportunity to break that and say and if you just completely step?
Speaker 1:in it you can say I was new, I didn't know, I tried but to be able to say hey, I know this, X, Y, Z is a problem. Say something like pay raises. Right, I've walked into spaces and people are like when are we getting a raise?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then I check and it's you ain't getting a raise. No time soon Like it's no time soon because of the following reasons, and you and I both know that. But you know what? Here I'll just speak to it. Hey, and several of you have mentioned the desire for pay raises. I believe in pay raises. I would love one too.
Speaker 2:Yeah right.
Speaker 1:Here's the reality. We're not. I understand if that's upsetting. I understand that makes you want to look for employment elsewhere. I can't stop you from doing that, but I do want to give you honest information to work with.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that builds trust. That builds trust Like people don't have to like what you say, but they, if they can trust that you are going to be honest and upfront with them, it goes a long way. So I have a question for you how have you dealt with managing people who were previously your peers?
Speaker 1:It is. Yeah, I think there are times when I've done it well and there are times where I've been blinded by things and didn't do it well. So I think that when it's worked out well, it's when I've spoken to the elephant in the room and I've pulled the person aside and said, hey look, we're good, we're cool, but at work now I'm doing this and you're doing this, and this is how it's got to be. Nothing but love. But also know that I won't bring the personal into work. I would appreciate if you do the same.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Let's go yeah, and people, especially if they're friends already right, they get that have missed the mark is when I have had friends who weren't performing well under me and I think in other scenarios I would have seen the red flags. I won't say this happened a lot. This is like one instance that I'm really thinking of where I missed red flags. Those red flags were really impacting the team and the team felt like they couldn't come to me because they knew this person was and I even. Perhaps the mistake I made was I even introduced this person to the team in an effort to be transparent. Right, this is so we go way back. We have. That's going to be obvious, it's what it is, and so it made people feel, I think, that they couldn't be honest with me about that person's performance, when I feel like in all other respects the team was honest with me except that one, but the person was in a role where their lack of performance was really impacting the team.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I still feel shocked that I missed that yeah.
Speaker 2:But now.
Speaker 1:I know that's something I need to look out for in the future. What about you?
Speaker 2:yeah, like you, it can be. It's a fine line to walk. And it goes back to communication, having that conversation on the side with the individual that you just say okay, these are the parameters that we're working in. We're in an office setting, these are my expectations. When we're not in the office, that's different. But I think it's important to have that conversation just to level set with whoever the individual is, so that no one gets caught in the crosshairs.
Speaker 2:And I've been fortunate that some of the people that I've had personal relationships with, who I've ended up supervising, have actually gone above and beyond to show me the respect for the position that I hold in ways that actually made me feel uncomfortable and I had to shift myself in terms of people previously calling me by my first name, but now they call me by my title and it's ooh, I don't know how I feel about that. Or people suddenly calling me ma'am and I'm like I'm not ma'am, I'm still Shelby, like why you don't have to be all formal with me. But one thing that my husband told me, one thing he reminded me of, was like no, that's a good thing, like it's actually a good thing that they are making the shift, because you need to make the shift. And it's not that you're full of yourself, it's not that you're bossy now that you've become a boss bossy now that you've become a boss but when you become a boss, you are elevating yourself and you're elevating the aura around you and it's important for people to make the distinction and to give you the respect that the position or the title that you hold commands.
Speaker 2:And that has been an adjustment for me, because I'm used to being informal and cool with people and I can still be informal, I can still be cool, I can still show humanity in leading a team and managing a team. But there is this line where you have to not be overly familiar with the people that you're leading, so that when things get rough or you have to deliver tough messages or have hard conversations, there are no feelings or emotions that are tied up into. Hey, I thought we were cool. No, we're still in an office setting. I am still the boss, I am still expected to carry out the objectives, the mission of whoever my boss is, and those dynamics can be a little tricky to.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, as you were saying that, I was thinking and we've talked about this before that you are in this leadership role because you have a number of skills, but one of the primary ones is judgment and to be able to navigate these worlds and find that middle ground. There's often a middle space, a nuance that is correct, and either the extremely formal or the extremely informal is correct, and being able to help guide people to that is part of your skill set, and but it's just like you said, it's hard. As you were talking, I was thinking when it comes to managing these peer relationships while you're in a leadership role. Actually, one of the most difficult positions I've been in is when friends want you to hire them.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:When friends want you to hire them and you know they're not the right person for the role. Sometimes you're like yo, I need my homie, like they're going to be great for this.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:But there have been a few times where I've had to have really difficult conversations with friends where they just knew they were going to get a job because I was the decision maker.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:But I knew that they just weren't the right fit for the role. Right, and not just because I was their friend, right, right, right, but they just weren't competitive with the other people applying. And yeah, there are a couple people that I really had broken relationships for a while with because I had to make a difficult decision. But I still stand by the decision. But it's tough.
Speaker 2:It is tough it is, and I think you got me thinking about a different episode, like how do you give feedback and how do you have those difficult conversations? Because it's important to not let yourself be blinded by friendship or loyalty when it comes to protecting the mission of whatever office you're in private sector, public sector, whatever, it doesn't matter. At the end of the day, it's not personal. Your job as a leader is to make sure that you're recruiting the right people for the positions that are available, and friendship has nothing to do with it.
Speaker 1:So hey look, are there any other tips you would offer?
Speaker 2:as we get ready to close, on how people can think about making these transitions to leadership and changing that mindset. Yeah, I guess I'll start with the last thing that we just said. Have a summary of everything that we discussed. Remember the mission, exercise good judgment, overcommunicate, adjust the elephant in the room. Make sure you're walking around and connecting with people. Have a plan, whether it's a written 90-day plan or something that you want to convey in your initial message if it's a written message, or a town hall, a big staff meeting and do your research, do your homework, know the mission of the office, know the personalities of the people that you're leading.
Speaker 1:It's funny as you read that list, that list, honestly, it's just the stuff you should be doing anyway. It's the stuff you should be doing, anything anyway. And I I was thinking as you were saying it. The only thing I would add is, I don't know, whenever I have to do something really difficult, or particularly when I have to say something really difficult to people, I will often think of the phrase the truth will set you free if you're just honest and you just deliver the truth as you know it, because I don't know about everybody else, but I'm busy, I can't keep up with lies.
Speaker 1:I got too many things a lot harder to keep up with the lies you can't keep up with the lies, so I need to just give it to you straight in a way that's sensitive. So all those things that you listed, covered in an umbrella of just truth.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And truth can be delivered with sensitivity.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And it can be delivered diplomatically. Sensitivity, yeah, and it can be delivered diplomatically but if you just your honest self with people you bring. You are authentic, you are fair, you are reasonable, you are dependable and you are the steady hand. That's what people are looking to for leadership a humanized, steady hand.
Speaker 2:Yes, bring your humanity, yeah.
Speaker 1:And just bring your humanity. You know it's not perfect. You're human, you might make mistakes. I will let people know I am not an expert in X, but ultimately X, y and Z is my decision. I have reviewed the facts. I've heard everybody's case and here's what I've decided and if it's wrong I stand behind it.
Speaker 2:And we'll adjust.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah. So I think all of those, all of those points that you summarized really speak to this moment. That concludes our episode. I would just say the only thing I would add, shelby, as people get ready to leave, is that in our show notes they will see a new feature called send us a text message.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, that's right.
Speaker 1:And since we love feedback, I just wanted to draw people's attention to that and say send us a text message. Oh yeah, that's right. And since we love feedback, I just wanted to draw people's attention to that and say send us a text message, tell us what you think about the show, tell us what you think about this episode and, more importantly, tell us what you want to hear more of.
Speaker 2:Yes, please. We take your feedback seriously. Belinda and I are in constant communication, thinking about how to reach our audience and how to make sure that we are bringing relevant content, and if you like what you're hearing, please leave us feedback, leave us a rating, a review, wherever you get your podcasts, share our podcast with at least three friends and hopefully those three friends will share with their three friends and hopefully those three friends will share with their three friends. But we really appreciate hearing directly from all of you and we look forward to sipping wisdom and stirring success with you again soon. Bye.
