Secrets to Taking Over an Orphaned and Abused Team

Any manager who has taken over a team from a previous over bearing boss knows the challenge it is to establish trust, regain buy-in from the team, and rebuild loyalties. It is no small feat when you have a team of discouraged employees, who have likely been through hell with a former boss, and to have to coax them back into being a functional unit. There are secrets to bringing the team back together and building up strong performers.

1. Commiserate with Your Team

One of the first reactions after a bad boss leaves and the team inherits a new boss is to assume you are the same as their previous manager. The team has formed bonds by having to suffer together and you need to respect that and use it to help rebuild. Let people air their grievances about the experience, about what went wrong, and reminisce to the days when the team was functional. These complaints are important to discover their beliefs, values, and what they care about. It also gives them an opportunity to be heard – one they likely have not yet had.

2. Demonstrate You Are Different

Many managers try to rule with fear as a motivator and this can leave a strong lasting impact on a team. Demonstrate immediately that you will handle things differently – firm, yet fair. You aren’t there to coddle them due to their bad experience, but you also aren’t there to tear them down. You are their manager and want to build a functioning and high performance team.

It will take time for some members of your team to rebuild trust, so give some latitude if their previous boss was abusive.

3. Weed Out Root Problems

The previous manager is not always the root of the problems with a team. You must discover what the true causes of conflict are. You can do this by speaking with members of the team, internal customers they dealt with, and external customers. You will likely find a ton of data which will point to the true cause of the problem.

If the previous manager wasn’t the issue, you need to resolve the problem quickly and effectively. It takes a long time to recover if you walk in as a new manager and a problem employee remains to wreak havoc on her coworkers. You need to deal with the issue quickly so it doesn’t bog down your time as manager.

4. Be Open for Communication

Taking over an orphan team takes a lot of energy and requires you to be open for communication. Communicate regularly with the team when there are problems to be resolved and make sure your employees know your expectations. On-going feedback and communication can resolve a lot of problems before they become major issues.

Rebuilding a team takes a lot of effort, but in the end, its worth it to save the employees and build a high performing group. As a manager, its not a pleasant experience, but once which will leave a lasting impression on you and teach you lessons for years to come.