First 90 Days as Team Lead: Real Situations, Real Growth

I'll give you some specific tips for starting your first meeting to gain your colleagues' trust.

1. Brief self-introduction: At the start of the meeting, briefly talk about your background and your transition to the team leader role. For example, you could say, "Hello everyone, I'm Min-Su. I'm very happy to be working with you all as team leader. During the first month, I will focus on listening to your stories and understanding the team."

2. Listening attitude: It's important to give team members many opportunities to speak and to listen to their opinions. Maintain a speaking ratio of 8:2 so that team members talk more.

3. Open-ended questions: Ask your team members open-ended questions. For example, through questions like "What do you think is most important for the team right now?", you allow team members to freely express their thoughts.

4. Creating a safe environment: Create a safe environment where team members can comfortably share their opinions. It's good to convey the message, "Here we respect each other's opinions, and every opinion is valued."

5. Sharing vision: Briefly share the team's goals or vision, and talk about how team members can contribute to that vision. This helps team members feel a sense of belonging as part of the team.

Through this approach, you will be able to build trust in your first meeting and start your relationship with team members on a positive note. If you need additional questions or help with specific situations, please let me know!

When a team member makes a suggestion during your conversation, how you respond can vary depending on the situation, but it's good to follow a few basic principles.

1. Active Listening: Listen actively to your team member's suggestion. Don't interrupt while he's speaking, and make sure to hear his opinion fully. This way, the team member will feel that his opinion is being respected.

2. Ask Questions: Ask questions to clearly understand the content of the suggestion. For example, if you ask "Could you explain that suggestion in more detail?", you can gain a deeper understanding of the team member's thinking.

3. Provide Feedback: Give positive feedback on the suggestion, and if necessary, present improvements or additional opinions. Responding with something like "That's a good idea! But what do you think about this aspect?" can make the conversation with your team member more productive.

4. Manage Your Emotions: When you feel that a team member is disrespecting you, it's important to manage your emotions. He may simply be presenting his opinion, so rather than reacting emotionally, try to analyze the situation objectively.

5. Use One-on-One Meetings: Through regular one-on-one meetings, you can deepen your relationship with your team member. Use this opportunity to directly discuss the team member's opinions or suggestions.

Through this approach, you can foster better communication in conversations with your team members. If you have any additional questions, please let me know anytime!

When giving feedback, it is good to use the following specific approaches:

1. Observation-Based Feedback: Feedback should be grounded in observed facts. For example, mention a specific incident such as, "You missed the project deadline last week."

2. Separate Facts from Interpretation: When giving feedback, present facts and interpretation separately. First explain the observed fact, then pose your interpretation or feelings as a question. For example, you could say, "You missed the deadline on the last project—could you tell me what the reason was?"

3. Start Positively: Begin feedback by mentioning something positive first so the other person doesn't become defensive. For example, approach it this way: "Your ideas were really creative. However..."

4. Offer Specific Action Suggestions: After feedback, propose concrete actions for improvement. It is good to ask, "What kind of plan could we make to meet the deadline next time?"

5. Set a Follow-Up Check-In: After giving feedback, schedule a follow-up meeting so the feedback is not forgotten. You could suggest, "Should we talk about this issue again next week?"

Points to be careful about to ensure the relationship doesn't deteriorate are as follows:

• Avoid Blame: When giving feedback, avoid criticism or negative remarks. This can prompt a defensive reaction from the other person.

• Refrain from Emotional Statements: Avoid emotional assertions or speculation, and focus on objective facts. For example, you should avoid expressions like, "You always do this."

• Build Trust: It is important to build trust before giving feedback. Conduct the conversation in a way that makes the other person feel comfortable.

By using this approach to give feedback, you can communicate effectively while maintaining the relationship. If you have any additional questions, please let me know anytime!