Past Team Members | 120 Seconds to Better Leadership

*Video Transcription*

Hi, I’m Emily Bermes and this is 120 seconds to better leadership.

So, when leaders take new roles in new organizations, it’s natural for them to assess their current team to see which members are going to be on board for their charter and which team members may just not be an appropriate fit for their charter - that’s totally normal and natural.

There’s nothing wrong with it as long as it’s done appropriately and legally. It’s ok to do that - it’s ok to rejigger your team.

What happens, though, is that many leaders will bring in folks that they trust. Well, who do they trust? They trust the folks they’ve worked with in past jobs or maybe two jobs ago, and there’s actually really nothing wrong with that either.

It’s okay to bring in trusted people from past jobs (but be careful).

This is true, except when you bring in too many people all at once, and especially if they all came from the same organization. Especially if they seem too much like you. I even had a leader bring in someone that they had worked with in the past and they looked like brothers. So, that leader was quickly called “so-and-so’s guy”.

That’s what happens if you bring too many people, that are too similar, that you’ve got too strong of a bond with in the past and here’s why that can be dangerous, especially if you make a big deal about it.

Watch out for the dangers.

If you’re talking about your past relationships, if you’re talking about the good old days of the last company that you were at, it very quickly creates a divide between the old guard and the new team. So, leaders that you are bringing on can quickly earn the reputation of being “your guy”. It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, that’s how everyone says it. Once you divide that mental wedge between the new guard and the folks you worked with in the past, it’s very difficult for them to form equal bonds as a team.

The old guard will not feel as important or as desired or as empowered, or as known or understood as the folks you worked with in the past. So, you want to do that sparingly - do it when it’s appropriate. But don’t talk about it too much, don’t constantly refer to your past history together, don’t talk about the name of the last company that you worked at. Don’t be dishonest about it - it’s ok if people know that you’ve worked together in the past. That’s part of what will help them understand, “oh okay this is a known entity to this leader”.

But, the more you talk about the past, the more it creates a divide between the different factions within your team and it really can cause a great sense of disharmony and anxiety for the new folks that you’re leading.

So, again, it’s not a bad strategy, it’s often necessary, and it’s often a safe move because you’ve had that past history that shows you can trust this person. But don’t beat your new folks over the head with it. Keep it simple. 

Looking for executive coaching services? If you want more advice on leadership, let’s talk.