Page 50 - Just Promoted A 12 Month Road Map for Success in Your New Leadership Role

Entering the Organization 35

Step 6 The group is given a 30- to 45-minute break, and the leader
returns to the room (alone with the facilitator) to review the staff ques-
tions and comments. The facilitator makes sure that the leader under-
stands the points raised and coaches the leader, if appropriate, on
possible responses to some of the more difficult questions, or at least
recommends the thought processes the leader should work through in
forming his responses to the questions. The key point is that the leader
must feel that he needn’t be an expert in all areas and that the group
doesn’t require, or expect, this. It is, however, quite important that the
leader come across as a good, thoughtful listener. It is also very impor-
tant that the leader not dominate the follow-up session. The most
effective sessions are really dialogues, where the leader will make some
comments, pause, seek additional data from the group, and then
respond, so that it becomes an active exchange between the new leader
and team, building the kind of relationship that will serve them well
in the future.
Step 7 At the second session, the leader and team meet to review the notes
that have been generated in the first session. The facilitator also partici-
pates, this time in both a facilitating and monitoring mode. In this role,
the facilitator is trying to get a sense of the questions that were not asked
but that are nevertheless on the minds of the group. The facilitator is
also intervening to ensure that the leader is really addressing the ques-
tions raised by the group and that the questions and answers are clear to
both the leader and the group.
Step 8 The leader closes the meeting by thanking the team for their help in
the assimilation process, and he tells the group that the notes from the
meeting will be distributed to the attendees. It is intended that the
NLTAP information be used as a basis for building the agenda for a fol-
low-up meeting and/or to establish a schedule for resolution of action
items. Depending on the time of day, having a group lunch or going out
to dinner together after the New Leader and Team Assimilation Process
promotes continued team building (bonding).
Step 9 The leader and facilitator meet for a debriefing session on the
process. This is an ideal time for the facilitator to provide feedback on
what the leader did well in the session, comment on areas for improve-
ment, and provide guidance for action planning to assist the leader and
for team development.