Building a high-performing team is the first thing a manager is evaluated on. The success of a manager is highly dependent on how good their team is, how well they can meet their goals, and the degree to which each individual grows within the organization.
Most new managers hesitate to evaluate and replace team members who do not have the ability to perform. When the time comes to reflect on what could have been done differently, new managers almost always conclude they should have been quicker at making talent decisions.
Why is it so hard for new managers to make these tough but necessary decisions? The one thing new managers need to do first is to evaluate their team and make tough talent decisions. Here are some common reasons new managers use to avoid making them.
Lack of confidence and evidence
A new manager may not yet have confidence in their natural instinct that would alert them to a poor performer on their team. They end up spending time looking for data that would support the need to remove a particular team member. The reality of management is that you will never have enough data to get a complete picture of a person. You have to blend the data with instinct when making these decisions. Even though the manager is new, the instinct is present. The instinct that guides managers start to develop as they enter the workforce regardless of the position they start in.
Desire to be liked
New managers want to be liked and respected. This will often cause them to take a softer approach when getting to know their team. They may overlook little things in an attempt to be a “cool boss”. The problem is the little things add up more quickly than they realize. Their desire to create a comfortable transition for the team prevents them from disrupting the waters and removing the members who are weighing the team down. Instead of avoiding the disruption face it early on. Make it clear to your team that you want them to be the best team in the company. Let them know this requires a high level of excellence from each of them. When the time comes to make the tough decisions about who needs to go, most of the team will understand and possibly be happy about it.
A team member’s relationship with other executives or customers
Inevitably some members of the team will have relationships with other executives or have a customer who is their advocate. Perhaps the previous manager who selected and evaluated the team was promoted and so the new manager doesn’t want to give the appearance their predecessor had bad judgment when it came to managing the team. In these cases, it is best to gain buy-in from the people that the employee has a relationship with. Meet with them to review the why’s behind your decision and paint a better picture as a result of letting the person go.
All of these reasons make it easy for a manager to take it easy when evaluating the talent on their team. They can be justified in the short-term but when the new manager is sitting with their boss during their 90-day review, none of them will work as excuses as to why the team isn’t meeting or exceeding expectations. Ultimately the new manager is accountable for the team and the work they produce. Avoid these common pitfalls when evaluating the talent of your new team.
Last updated on September 14th, 2020 at 06:46 am
