Effective communication as a critical skill for first time managers
context
New Manager Style was not accepted by the Leads, leading to resignation of a Team Lead
challenges
The resignation was impacting the Deliverables. There was discord in the team and they were disengaged and demotivated. Worried, Helpless, Unable to connect with the team and was taking up the Team Lead’s activities himself
solution
He used allies to understand the state of mind of the Team Lead. Based on the above data, had a series of conversation both informal and formal with the employee consciously. He applied listening techniques during the conversations rather than sharing his views / jumping to solutions. Stayed in the conversation despite his own fears and the toughness of the situation. Shared his feelings about the TLs contribution and why it was critical for the project, team and himself that the TL stays back
impact
He successfully retained the Team Lead which impacted the delivery positively and built credibility with the counterpart. The retention of the Team Lead led to increased engagement of the team. He learnt the art of giving space, sharing feelings, listening and ensuring the employee feels valuable.