“First Impressions”
Question: Do you have any suggestions for how a leader can get to know his or her new team?
Answer: This is a great question. Many leaders walk into these kinds of situations with their ideas, their expectations, and nothing else. They don’t spend time building relationships with new team members. In the long run, this type of approach is self-defeating.
Start by meeting with each new team member for about half an hour. Ask them to describe their role, their goals, and what they feel is expected of them. Find out what they think their own strengths and weaknesses, are, too. Praise their strengths, and how these factor into the overall success of the team, and let them know you’d like to develop a plan to address any weaknesses they feel they may have. Also, find out what each member thinks about the current team, and its systems and processes. This shouldn’t be a complaint session, but rather an opportunity to gather constructive feedback.
Finally, don’t limit these meetings to work-related issues. Get to know each of your team members on a personal level. Ask about their families, and their hobbies. Let them know you care and that they’re real people – not just units of production.
What I’m talking about is a listening tour. As a leader, this will give you a massive relational buy-in right out of the gate!
“The Perfect Follow-up”
Question: What is your advice for writing a follow-up letter to a potential employer?
Answer: A follow-up letter or email after a job interview should be short, professional, polite, and to the point. In my mind, it should be a read of about 15 seconds that reminds them they like you.
Open the letter by letting them know you’re grateful for the time they spent with you. Next, let them know how excited you are about the possibility of being part of their organization and contributing to their mission. Finally, wrap things up with a little more gratefulness. Thank them for their willingness to consider you, while adding that you’re flattered to be considered for the position.
If it helps, think of it as making a sandwich with words. Look at your follow-up as an enthusiasm-and-excitement sandwich, with those ingredients stuffed between two slices of gratefulness. I believe this is the formula for the perfect follow-up!
*Ken Coleman is host of The Ken Coleman Show and the top-rated EntreLeadership Podcast, and author of One Question: Life-Changing Answers from Today’s Leading Voices. An acclaimed interviewer and broadcaster, Coleman equips, encourages and entertains listeners through thought-provoking interviews, helping them grow their businesses, pursue their passions, and move toward a fulfilled purpose. You can follow him on Twitter at @KenColeman, on Instagram at @ KenColemanShow, and online at kencolemanshow.com or facebook.com/ KenColemanShow.
