Launching Your Leadership: Navigating Your First Staff Meeting

There's an old saying that you can only make a first impression once. This is why your first staff meeting as a new manager is so important. Employees are probably curious (or even afraid) about having a new manager. Your first team meeting provides the perfect opportunity to put employees at ease, make a good first impression, and start things off in the best way possible.

But how exactly do you do that? How do you ensure that your induction session with your new team goes smoothly and that you and your employees will be successful in the future?

With a little preparation, clear goals, and a flexible agenda, you can run your first staff meeting as a new manager like a seasoned pro.

How to prepare for your first staff meeting as a new manager

A crucial factor for a successful meeting as a new manager is that you are well prepared. There are a few things you should definitely do in advance to ensure your first staff meeting is a success and your new team has the opportunity to look forward to working with you.

Set a clear goal

A meeting cannot be called successful if you do not know what you want to achieve from it. For this reason, you should set goals for both one-on-one and team meetings. Before your first meeting as a new manager, think about what your goals are for the meeting, whether it's breaking the ice with your new team or discussing your first project.

Outline important topics you want to cover

While you don't have to write a script for your meeting, you should have a general overview of the topics you want to cover.

For example: If the goal of your meeting is to break the ice with your new team members, you should address topics such as your professional background, your management style, and your leadership philosophy.

Prepare talking points

Once you know what topics you want to cover, you should prepare a few specific talking points for each topic. Think about which topics are more suitable for a team meeting and which are better addressed in one-on-one meetings.

For example: Prepare one or two anecdotes or accomplishments to share with the group, plan a loosening exercise, or prepare a review activity for the meeting.

Coordinate team meeting logistics

You should decide all the details of the meeting in advance. Consider whether you are hosting an in-person or remote meeting, where you will meet (in a physical or virtual meeting room), and who needs to be present. Share these details in your calendar invitation or with your meeting participants as soon as possible.

Reassure your new managers

If you feel a little nervous or anxious about leading your first staff meeting, that's completely normal! Anything you do for the first time can be nerve-wracking - including leading your first meeting with your team.

How to lead your first team meeting

After you've made your preparations, the next step is to actually conduct the first team meeting. Below are some pointers for conducting your first team meeting that will help you achieve your meeting goal, connect with your team, and lay a solid foundation for a successful and productive team experience.

1.Break the ice with your new team members

It's the first time your new team has attended one of your meetings - and in some cases, it's even the first time they've met you. As mentioned, they may be curious, fearful, or nervous. Before you begin the content of your meeting, take some time to break the ice and put everyone (including yourself!) at ease.

2.Keep the meeting structure flexible

It's important to have a meeting agenda, but you shouldn't stick to it so much that you miss an opportunity to have meaningful conversations or interactions with your new team. At your first staff meeting, you should definitely prepare your topics and discussion points, but also be flexible enough to allow the conversations, questions, and interactions to develop organically.

3.Make it an interactive experience

Nobody likes being talked to for an hour. Look for ways to engage your team and keep them involved in the content of the meeting. This way, they stay present during the scheduled time and know from the start that employee participation and engagement is important to you.

For example: After informing your team about your background, you could also go around the room and ask each employee to introduce themselves and their role.

4.Keep the meeting manageable

It doesn't matter how engaging your first team meeting is, if it goes on too long, participants will have a hard time sticking with it. Try to be as brief as possible and aim to keep the total length of the meeting under an hour. If you need longer, you should plan breaks.

5.Allow time for employee questions

Your first staff meeting is the first opportunity to introduce yourself to your new team, but also the first opportunity for your team to get to know you. Therefore, you should allow enough time for a question and answer session at the end of the meeting. You will have the opportunity to ask any of your own questions in the personal interviews.

6.Be yourself and show your personality

Part of being an effective leader is connecting with your new team on a personal level. This leads to better communication, more trust and respect and ultimately better working relationships. Building trust and authentic relationships happens when people see who you really are. So when you lead your first staff meeting, let your personality shine through!

An example: If you are a funny person, crack jokes. If you have a hobby that you are passionate about, talk about it. The more “you” you show your employees, the faster you will connect with them.

7.Plan some next steps

When you end your meeting, all participants should know exactly what is expected of them and what comes next. Prepare some next steps for the time after the first staff meeting and inform your employees about these steps. Additionally, you can determine some next steps based on what comes up during the meeting.

Template for the agenda of a new manager's first team meeting

Still feeling a little unsure about how to structure your introductory session? No reason to worry! Whether you're just getting started with staff meetings or want to add more structure to your appointments, meeting templates can help you stay on track. This way you can cover all agenda items before your team meeting is over.

How often should you hold staff meetings?

Once you've had your first team meeting, the next step is to set the right meeting rhythm for your team. In other words: As a new manager, how often should you schedule staff meetings?

There is no magic number for team meetings. Some teams meet every day, some once a week, and some once a month. How often you need to hold team meetings depends on your team, your goals, and the projects you're working on.

• Scenario #1: Your team has a looming deadline on a project with a lot of moving parts. So you ensure that daily team meetings take place while there are several time-critical tasks to be completed.
• Scenario #2: You lead a team of introverts who feel drained after all the team members get together. So you decide to hold fewer team meetings and give everyone more time for focused individual work.

How to manage meetings with your team

When determining the rhythm of meetings, it is also important to strike a balance between group meetings and one-on-one conversations. Depending on the size of your team, the tasks and the individual needs of each employee, you may decide to hold one-on-one meetings more frequently than team meetings or vice versa. Just make sure you make time for both, as developing personal relationships with each team member is just as important as creating a positive and healthy team culture.

In general, you should meet with your team at least once a week or every two weeks. It's important that you stay up to date on what your team is working on, but also that you give them the time to address challenges or share their successes. Meetings with the entire team are an opportunity to align and connect to maintain a sense of shared purpose.

Mastering your first staff meeting is key to building trust and setting a positive tone with your team. With preparation and engagement, you'll pave the way for successful collaboration. Unlock more insights with IceHrm.