Most of all, new leaders need your support and guidance in learning and practicing the fundamentals of management:
- Remind the new leader that this new role is a huge responsibility that should not be accepted lightly.
- Go over and over with the new leader exactly what her new leadership responsibilities look like.
- Focus on the fundamentals, such as spelling out expectations, following up regularly, tracking performance closely in writing, and holding people accountable.
- Announce the new leadership to the whole team and clearly articulate the nature of this person’s new authority.
- Check in daily (or every other day) with this new leader and ask about the management challenges she probably is facing.
- Sit in on the new leader’s team meetings and one-on-ones with team members in order to build her up and help her refine and improve her management techniques. Teach that new leader to keep asking herself:
- Who needs to be managed more closely?
- Who needs more responsibility and autonomy?
- Who needs help navigating the complex, ever-changing workplace?
- Who needs performance coaching?
- Who has a great attitude and who needs an attitude adjustment?
- Who is likely to improve? Who is not?
- Who should be developed—or-fired?
- Who are your best people? Who are your real performance problems?
- Who requires special accommodations and rewards? Who deserves them?
