Leading a team you haven’t met is hard, but it doesn’t have to be
Being Hired Remotely Sucks!
You joined a new company, and because of COVID-19 you’ve been unable to meet your colleagues in person. You haven’t been given an organizational chart and introductions have not been forthcoming.
Wondering if you have made the right decision to join this company, you feel resentful at the lack of support you have received and can’t wait for the holiday break to begin.
It’s absolutely heartbreaking when you can’t use your powers for building legendary high-performing teams and being an awesome cross-functional team player, because you can’t get a handle on the organization and how it runs because of working in place due to COVID-19. I get it. It’s taking away the part of your work that you love most.
But here’s the thing…while the prospect of investing time building a rapport with colleagues remotely can be daunting, waiting for colleagues to reach out and make introductions will only lead to more waiting.
“You can’t sit around waiting for that invitation – you need to reach across the table.” according to Katie Dill, VP at Lyft.
You need to have a concrete plan, and I suggest you start with making a list of the leaders whose teams work with yours. Reach out to them to understand their situation by asking these four questions.
Use Powerful Questions to Build Rapport
- What challenges are you (your team) facing?
- What gets you (and your team) excited about what you do?
- What do you truly want for (your team, this project, the business, yourself)?
- What would massive success look like for you and your team?
Learning to build rapport effortlessly is one of the leadership techniques I share in my 90-day 1:1 coaching program. The benefit is that your peers will see that you value them for who they are, not what they can do for you, and you will learn the language of leadership, making you a more powerful leader.
You’ll also build trusted allies, which makes it harder for you and your team to be marginalized. Also, you will gain clarity about how other groups collaborate and influence each other while learning how to be a better leader for your own team.
Building a sound ecosystem-based on respect and trust will need maintenance and authenticity. Team up with me to learn what it takes to radically change your relationship with colleagues during COVID-19.
Together we’ll discover your needs and design and deploy a tailor-made, functional plan that will help you reach both your professional and personal goals.
Let’s chat over a complimentary coaching consultation to learn more about how together we can achieve your objectives.
Photo by Neonbrand for Unsplash
