It's day one. New company. New team.

You just got your new badge.

You connect briefly with your new boss and they tell you, "Hey, just so you know, this team has been struggling. They're not meeting objectives. We'll talk more about it later."

Great. That would have been nice to know.

Now your mind is racing.

Should you come in tough and lay down the law? Should you keep your distance? What if you have to start replacing people right away?

I've been there. Early in my career I inherited a team that had been badly underperforming. Walking into day one, my boss had already told me there was a high likelihood I would have to replace every person on the team.

I didn't replace a single one.

Senior leadership was shocked at the turnaround. Here's exactly what I did.

The first thing I'm going to do is meet with the entire team.

There is a good chance these people are scared. They know the team isn't performing. They know leadership isn't happy. They know their last manager was replaced. And they are wondering what that means for them.

So here's what I tell them.

First, I acknowledge reality. I'm not going to pretend everything is fine.

"I'm aware there have been some challenges here. We've missed some objectives. We've got work to do."

Then I acknowledge how hard that has probably been for them.

I let them know that I am not walking in with assumptions. I want to learn for myself. I'm going to ask a lot of questions: What's working? What's not working? What could we be doing differently?

I want them to understand that I'm not looking for somebody to blame. I'm looking for solutions.

Next, I give them a very quick glimpse into my leadership philosophy. Most important is a mindset of ownership. As the leader of this team, I am now responsible for everything that happens here. No excuses. No blaming another department. If we miss an objective, I will own it.

I close the meeting on this note: we are going to turn things around. This is going to be a team that not only meets objectives, but does it in a way that causes others to take notice.

The tone is positive, optimistic, and inspiring. But it's credible. No false cheerleading.

As soon as possible, ideally on Day One, I'm meeting with my boss. I need clarity on five things:

That last one is especially important.

Underperforming teams need momentum. They need evidence that things are improving. A quick win can completely change the energy of a team.

In this first week I'm also meeting with my peers and key stakeholders. My team does not operate in a silo. If we've been failing to meet objectives, there's a good chance we have not been great cross-functional partners. I want to know what's working, what's not, and how I can best help them.

I'm not walking into these meetings hat in hand. I'm there to listen, to learn, and to start building trust.

Very early on, I am filling my calendar with one-on-ones. These weekly meetings with my direct reports will become a crucial element in developing our relationship and building trust. 

In these first conversations, I ask each person to tell me about themselves. I want to know what they love doing. I ask what they are especially good at, here at work. What they think is going well. What's not going well. What we could be doing differently.

My team will quickly recognize that I ask those last three questions often, in all kinds of situations, with an intent to be constantly improving as a team.

A couple weeks in, I've had one-on-ones with my boss, my stakeholders, and every direct report. I've learned a lot. Now it's time to bring the team together.

Ideally, this is an in-person, half-day or full-day workshop. Off-site if possible.

There are two essential elements.

Part one: Get crystal clear on what we're required to deliver. Everyone needs to understand the company's goals, the broader organization's goals, and specifically the outcomes our team is expected to hit. This part is not up for debate. These are the expectations. This is what the company hired us to do.

Part two: Discover our ideal future self. I ask the team: "What will it be like when everything is operating exactly the way we want it to go? What are the values most important to us? How do we help and support each other? What is so exceptional about this team that others in the company have taken notice?"

This second part is absolutely essential, especially for a team that has been struggling.

Here's the science behind it. Part one activates the sympathetic nervous system. Fight-or-flight mode. It's essential for focus and problem-solving. But if I stop here, I’m putting my team on a predictable path to burnout.

Part two activates the parasympathetic nervous system. It creates hope, purpose, and a sense of safety. It lowers fear and builds trust.

In the tech industry we are hyper-focused on metrics and results. We are not great at connecting people with purpose and an inspiring vision of their ideal future self.

If I'm going to turn this team around, I need both.

What if you're already 30, 60, or 90 days in and you're still trying to figure out where to go with an underperforming team?

Use this same playbook. Start right now.

It's not too late. You can turn this team around! I'm here to support you if you need help. 

Best, 

Jeff

P.S. If you've recently inherited a new team and you're trying to figure out what to focus on first, I want you to book a complimentary call with me. We'll talk about the situation you're walking into, what you're worried about, and what success needs to look like over the next 30 to 90 days. I'm handling all of these calls myself right now, so grab a time before the calendar fills up. Schedule your call here. 

P.P.S We will be moving to a new platform for hosting the Bellamy letter. If you would like to continue receiving the Bellamy letter each week, please click this link to opt-in on the new platform. Apologies for any inconvenience or disruption. I'm committed to continuing to deliver high-value content for tech industry managers leading new teams.