The Leader’s Pack For Meeting Individuals

When Taking Over A Team

Introduction

Imagine you are taking over a team and have already taken the following steps.

You will have done your research and know what must be done to lead the team to success.

You will have made clear contracts with the key sponsors about the picture of success.

You will have a clear mandate from these sponsors –the people who employ you - to do whatever is necessary to guide the team to success.

At the same time, it can be useful to have meetings with people in the team you are taking over. You will obviously do this in your own way. But here is one approach.

Explain that before the sessions you would like each person to do some pre-work. Say that you obviously have a view of the team's goals, strategy and road to success.

You would, however, also like to get their in-put. Invite each person to complete the following piece of work and send it to you before the session.

The Team Member’s Pre-Work Pack For

The First One-To-One

Introduction

Dear _______

As you know, I have recently taken over the leadership role in the team.

Obviously I have some clear ideas about the team’s goals, strategy and road to success. But it is also important to get your input. So I would like to meet with you for a one-to-one session.

Bearing this in mind, I would like you to do some pre-work before the session. You can then send it to me ahead of the session. We can then use it to focus on how we can work well together to achieve the team’s goals.

Here is an introduction to the exercises.

* My view of the team’s goals.

Describe what you believe should be the team’s goals for us to achieve success.

* My view of the team’s strategies.

Describe what you believe should be the three key strategies the team should follow to achieve this picture of success.

* My view of the team’s challenges.

Describe what you believe to be the team’s key challenges and how we can tackle these successfully.

* My strengths.

Describe where you deliver As, Bs and Cs

* My best contribution.

Bearing in mind your strengths, describe what you believe would be your best contribution to achieving the team’s goals.

There is also space for highlighting any other topics you would like to discuss in the one-to-one.

The pre-work with take some time. It invites you to focus on the team’s overall strategy, as well as you part. So set aside some time to do the exercises.

You can send it to me ahead of the session and then we will explore it together.

My View of

The Team’s Goals

The following pages invite you to describe what you believe should be the team’s goals if we are to achieve success.

The Team’s Goals

I believe the team’s top three goals should be:

1) To

For example:

*

*

*

2) To

For example:

*

*

*

3) To

For example:

*

*

*

My View of

The Team’s Strategies

The following pages invite you to describe what you believe should be the team’s three key strategies for working towards achieving the picture of success.

The Team’s Strategies

I believe the team’s top three strategies for working towards achieving the picture of success should be:

1) To

For example:

*

*

*

2) To

For example:

*

*

*

3) To

For example:

*

*

*

My View of

The Team’s Challenges

The following pages invite you to describe what you believe should be the team’s top three challenges and the specific things it can do to tackle these challenges successfully.

The Team’s Challenges

I believe the team’s top three challenges are:

1) To

The specific things we can do to tackle this challenge successfully are:

*

*

*

2) To

The specific things we can do to tackle this challenge successfully are:

*

*

*

3) To

The specific things we can do to tackle this challenge successfully are:

*

*

*

My Strengths

Introduction

This exercise invites you to clarify your strengths.

Please be as honest as possible when doing the

exercise.

* Describe the deeply satisfying activities where you

deliver – or have the potential to deliver –

As, rather than Bs or Cs.

These may be particular kinds of projects, tasks or

other activities. Give concrete examples. Please

note. The emphasis is on the word ‘Deliver’.

* Describe where you deliver Bs or Cs.

The B activities are probably those that you can do

reasonably well. They are not your As, however, or

maybe they once were but now you get bored

doing them.

The C activities are those where you have little

aptitude or desire to learn.

My A Strengths

As. The deeply satisfying activities, projects or other tasks where I deliver – or

have the potential to deliver - As are:

1)

For example:

*

*

*

2)

For example:

*

*

*

3)

For example:

*

*

*

My Bs and Cs

Bs. The activities where I deliver Bs are:

*

*

*

Cs. The activities where I deliver Cs are:

*

*

My Best Contribution

The following pages invite you to describe your potential best contribution to the team. Please bear in mind the team’s potential goals, even though these are not finalised yet.

Try to link your strengths and best contribution to achieving the team’s picture of success. If possible, also outline the potential pluses and minuses of making this contribution.

My Best Contribution

Bearing in mind my strengths, I believe my best contribution to the team –

together with specific examples - would be:

1) To

For example:

*

*

*

2) To

For example:

*

*

*

3) To

For example:

*

*

*

Pluses. The pluses of making this contribution –for the team, customers and myself – would be:

*

*

*

Minuses. The potential minuses –or other implications – would be:

*

*

Pluses and Minuses

The specific things I/We could do to build on the pluses and minimise the minuses would be:

*

*

*

Other Topics

The following page provides space for any other topics you would like to discuss at our meeting.

The other topics I would like to explore are:

*

*

*

Other Topics