Growing the team
30 Nov 2021We’re growing our team, on-boarding three new engineers from various specialisms (app development, infrastructure).
It’s a good time to review some of my favourite growing-the-team practices.
Prioritise “first contact”
I was introduced to this concept in Culture Code.
What is “first contact”? Pretty much what it says on the tin.
It’s the first contact between the new joiner and you as a member of the team and then the team more generally.
First contact is critical for two main reasons (Culture Code covers a few others that I won’t cover here -– do read the book, it’s very good).
It’s the first opportunity to affirm the new joiner’s belonging in their new group. As I’ve written elsewhere, when we join a new group we can feel especially vulnerable and our sense of belonging-ness is acute.
Reassurance that we do belong helps smooth the transition and lays the foundation for trust, connection, and a sense of safety.
It’s also the first chance to demonstrate team norms and culture. As a social species when we join new groups we seek to quickly understand norms and culture in order to fit in (i.e., belong).
If the norms are unclear or undefined it can feel chaotic, makes it hard to know how to act in the group, and slows the fitting in process.
1-1s and the vulnerability loop
I’ve written about the importance of 1-1s and the vulnerability loop elsewhere.
I’m convinced this is a critical step to team bonding and effective communication.
I make it a priority to organise 1-1s with any new joiner and complete the vulnerability loop early and often.
Make time…for everything
I volunteered to be the point of contact for our new joiners, but anyone on the team can do this.
I purposely reduced my load to incorporate time for everything (pairing, random questions, new pull requests, tech talks about our product).
Making time for people sends the message that I value them, their questions, and their contributions. No question is too silly or small for my time. I want people to know they matter, they belong, and they are safe on the team.
Organising a buddy system can be helpful to distribute the emotional labour and communicative load of this task.
Have a plan for “first conflict”
This is also covered in Culture Code (I feel a bit like a broken record).
What is “first conflict”? Again, very much what it says on the tin: it’s the first instance of group conflict or interpersonal conflict.
For me “conflict is normal and can be a catalyst for change” as Dr. Ellen Ott-Marshall says (check out my posts on conflict transformation)
First conflict is so important because like first contact it helps the new joiner understand the team’s conflict norms and culture.
If we learn from our start on a team that conflict is “bad” and goes unaddressed then disagreements are more likely to fester and can lead to broken communication.
The first step in a “have a plan” is to pre-plan: add some conflict communication tools to your tool box. I cannot speak highly enough of Coursera’s Conflict Transformation course. Hands down the best £36 I’ve ever paid. I also recommend Thanks for the Feedback and Changing the Conversation.
Once a new team member has joined invest time in those 1-1s and creating vulnerability loops.
Sometimes that initial layer of trust is enough to create a strong foundation of connection. We’re more likely to come to a conflict curious and empathetic of we feel connected to the person with whom we are in conflict.
When ruptures happen (and they will), address them promptly so repair can happen quickly. This is really hard and can be uncomfortable but it saves time and energy in the long run.
All of this takes practice and be prepared to make mistakes and learn.
From my experience the more we follow these steps the easier it gets and it can make a big difference