If you are a new team leader or aspire to further your career as a leader then building relationships is in the cards for you.

Make it a priority

As soon as you are introduced to your team, it’s a good idea to make time for them, immediately. This first interaction will be about THEM, in the context of the work and their goals, likes, and dislikes. Be friendly, and begin to build trust so they feel comfortable to be open and honest with you.

Listening is an underutilised tool

A huge part of successful communication is listening. Most of the time people listen to respond so they can share their story back to the other person. Give them the space to think, and then answer. A great way to build trust in your relationship is by listening to them, their stories, their wants, their challenges, and their wins. 

Ask Questions to Understand

To know the question, you need to be curious. Be curious to understand and ask further questions of your team members. This means you will be asking questions of the other person in relation to the conversation. When someone feels heard, they begin to be more open and trust you – building a relationship. The intention of questions is to understand NOT to respond. 

Leader vs Manager

Building a relationship with your team members means they will be able to accept you as their manager and then leader. Why do I say the manager and then leader because a leader is something more than a manager, a leader is someone who is able to take their team on a journey to reach the vision and goals of the organisation. Whereas a manager manages tasks that they've been assigned. 

Take it off campus

You are best off starting by building a relationship by giving time. Giving someone time shows that you are listening, respectful and caring. Book the time out in your diary to avoid interruptions, schedule a one-to-one meeting, or a coffee, if time allows - a lunch. Time and space that shows the person you're interested in them.

It’s a fresh start

The beginning is a good time to reserve judgment. Using a profiling tool provides specific data on your team members and their personality type. Use this in conjunction with making your own decision. Don’t accept others' views before forming your own. Often when sent into a new team, people will like to share their perspectives on the members, my advice is to reserve judgment and form your own relationship. Start at step one above and find out for yourself who it is you are working with.

Watch episode #2 of the INFLUENTIAL LEADER podcast with our guest Steve Grace