How to Conduct a New Manager Assimilation

Need help facilitating a New Manager Assimilation?

Purpose

To provide a platform for teams to build trust and a culture of psychological safety by allowing employees to give feedback to their new manager. This process fast tracks the relationship-building component and lays a foundation for open communication.



Who’s Involved?

  • Facilitator - an objective third-party individual (such as a consultant or HR representative) who has experience:

    • managing a room full of opinions 

    • diffusing tense situations

    • getting to the root cause by asking probing questions

    • taking detailed notes

  • Manager - the manager needs to be:

    • ready and willing to receive and accept constructive feedback from his/her team

    • in good standing in regards to performance (if there is obvious tension between the manager and the team due to the manager’s performance issues, the assimilation may turn into a “venting” and “complaining” session

  • Direct Reports - employees who directly report to the manager



Where should you hold the New Manager Assimilation session?

Ideally, the assimilation should be conducted in a conference room.



When is a good time to conduct the assimilation?

Though the Manager Assimilation can be conducted any time, the ideal time to do this is within 2-4 weeks of when the manager started managing the team. This can be any time of day, any day of the week. The most important part is giving the team a heads up about the assimilation so that everyone involved can be in the mindset to provide or receive feedback.



What supplies are needed?

A flip chart and markers or any type of note taking supplies where everyone can see the notes.



What does the process look like?

Step 1. Data Collection. The facilitator is in the room with the team, including the manager, and shares the purpose and expectations of the New Manager Assimilation. The manager is asked to leave the room and the facilitator starts the discussion by asking the below 7 questions while taking down notes. At the end of the discussion, the facilitator should debrief with the group and summarize recurring info and identify trends.

Step 2. Feedback to the Manager. In a separate meeting after data collection, the facilitator shares the feedback with the manager.  (During step 2 and 3, the team can go back to their desks until step 4).

Step 3. Response Preparation. The manager is given time (usually about an hour) to formulate responses to the feedback.

Step 4. Manager Response and Discussion. Everyone is called back into the room. The facilitator goes through each of the 7 questions and shares the summary of responses and allows the manager to respond.

Step 5. Follow Up. Before leaving the room, the team agrees to a date/time for a follow up meeting to check-in on the results of the assimilation. Accountability is key!



What are the questions given to the team?

  1. What do we already know about the new manager?

  2. What don't we know, but would like to know about our new manager?

  3. What are our concerns, both group and individual, about this person becoming our new manager?

  4. What do we want or need most from the new manager?

  5. What would we like the new manager to know about us, either as individuals or as a group?

  6. What are the major problems we think the new manager will be focusing on during the first year? 

  7. How are we going to help our new manager be successful?



Need help doing this with your team?

You’re in luck! Feed Learning can facilitate the New Manager Assimilation for you!