NEW MANAGER: TRUMPET YOUR INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP!

     What differences in your department’s energy can immediately be noticed by others now that you have taken over the leadership role? 

 

Colleagues and internal and external customers engaging with your department should notice...something seems different. 

This creates buzz and offers your staff the opportunity to become emissaries for your innovations.  

  

The key is to share your tactics with your department. The more transparent you are with them, the better. Ideally, you will be able to ask them for input, which offers you another opportunity to strengthen your team. Additionally, it offers your staff opportunity for professional development.

Here are some ideas for ways to trumpet your impact and innovations:

•  Schedule your staff meetings, face to face and virtual,  on the company calendar so other departments know your event is taking place and that the room and time are reserved.

•  Does your staff interact in person with the public? Review, revise, and standardize their greeting script, manner, and timeliness of greeting.

• Are there appropriate outlines in place for your department's electronic correspondence and social media postings? Revisit and review them.

• Does your staff answer or initiate telephone calls? Provide each station with mirrors, so that they can check their smiles. Explain your reasoning to your staff.

•   Consider enlisting the aid of other departments. For example, you might test response time to internal emails--after ensuring your staff is aware of the exercise. Your staff are partners, as opposed to subjects. 

•  Stating your department intentions and goals publicly is a powerful tool. Write them and display them prominently in the department. Celebrate each time a goal is achieved. Make the achievements public. Display them and discuss them.

• Consider posting daily or weekly quotes in the department. This is more powerful if you allow your staff members to choose them--within your approved parameters.
  
  
  
  
  

  Jeannie Newman is the Chief Solutions Officer for JZN Associates. She designs and implements guided discussions,workshops and seminars for her clients. All her topics are rooted in psychological and Emotional Intelligence concepts. She is also known for her motivational skills. Connect with her on LinkedIn.