Laying a Foundation: How to Build Relationships as a New Manager of an Existing Team

Congrats! You’ve landed a new gig leading a team at a great company. Now comes the difficult part: learning how to build relationships as a new manager. Joining a new organization can feel daunting as you’ll face unique challenges – established relationships, past personality conflicts, loyalty to a previous boss – all of which can affect your day-to-day conversations. As you get accustomed to the new company and environment, you’ll also have to build rapport with your new team. Consider this: a  PwC survey reveals that  86% of executives believe employee trust is high, when in fact, only 67% of employee report trusting their employer.

Navigating the interpersonal aspects of a company isn’t a straightforward task. But don’t fret, many of the above challenges can be turned into positives simply by focusing your approach towards cultivating healthy work relationships with your direct reports. Read on to explore some of the best ways to build relationships as a new manager of an existing team.

Make Time for One-On-One Meetings to Build Relationships as a New Manager

You might be overly eager to develop relationships with your team, and that’s okay.

However, the most important thing you can do is speak to every team member individually and just listen with an intent to understand rather than listening with an intent to reply. Let them explain team dynamics, roles and responsibilities, and department history. Use this as an opportunity for them to get acclimated with your leadership style and your commitment to listen first, make changes later. Continue to hold one-on-one meetings (whether that’s weekly or once a month), and let the team know you care about their personal career goals.

Conduct Team Development Meetings to Build Relationships as a New Manager

Especially at the beginning, it’s vital to bring everyone together - not only to witness how the team interacts but to solidify your role as the new head honcho of the team.

Take note of how your new team works together – is there camaraderie and connection? A strong team dynamic is crucial to work success and promotes productivity. Make sure to have a written agenda and allow for individuals to present updates in their area to empower them and gain insight at the same time. You might also consider jazzing up your team meetings by:

• Celebrate Core Achievements: Boost morale by publicly highlighting individual milestones and collective team wins.

• Change the Scenery: Move meetings off-site occasionally to break up routine and encourage more candid conversation.

• Host Learning Roundtables: Establish educational group syncs where team members can swap industry knowledge.

• Leverage Insightful Media: Watch a highly relevant TED Talk together to anchor your scheduled meeting agenda.

Get Leadership Support

Don’t forget one of your best resources is your new boss.

In many cases, your boss will have seen your team’s work habits and can bring the distinct advantage of knowing what your predecessor did well (and what they struggled with). Ask questions, not only about your goals, but about what your boss would like to see accomplished by the team. Now’s the time to make clear your approach in managing your new team as a highly engaged leader, and get your boss’s buy-in.

Build Colleague Relationships as a New Manager

As you meet other managers in your organization, work to identify those who will be a good resource for information and support (as well as mentorship).

Set up calendar meetings to ask specific questions that pop up with your team or your boss. Offer your support in return to their teams and find opportunities to work together in a show of good faith and cooperation. You can do this by:

• Adapt to Communication Styles: Pay close attention to whether peer managers prefer formal emails, quick Slack syncs, or brief face-to-face check-ins.

• Respect Peer Workloads: Remain highly considerate of their team's current project bandwidth and operational priorities.

• Maintain Cross-Functional Alignment: Keep your colleagues in the loop on any major workflow changes that might impact their departments.

Hold Team-Building Events to Build Relationships as a New Manager

Every business needs a positive company culture to thrive – the same can be said for teams as well.

Getting to know your employees and forming bonds are the main goals of team building. Moreover, nurturing those connections is the cornerstone that keeps everything in place (and running smoothly). To establish this, you need to make sure to organize an event during the first few months for your team to get familiar with you. Unwind with a happy-hour or plan a team lunch outing. Getting everyone away from the office and into a relaxed setting will ease the tension that comes from having a new boss come in and will show your push towards a favorable working relationship. What’s more, you’ll benefit from the following with team-building activities:

• Spur Creative Problem-Solving: Stepping outside of rigid office walls removes mental blocks and unlocks fresh perspectives.

• Lower Leadership Barriers: Interacting in a casual, relaxed setting naturally makes you a much more approachable leader.

• Spot Organic Group Leaders: Observe unstructured social interactions to easily identify the natural influencers within your team.

• Reveal Hidden Skill Sets: Casual conversations often uncover unique professional talents that don't surface in day-to-day tasks.

By taking a communicative approach, listening first and making time for important conversations, you’ll establish a foundation of teamwork and respect.

Prioritize Transparency and Consistency

Actions speak louder than words. Your new team is watching you closely to see if you follow through on your promises and commitments.

Be consistent in your actions. If you know something isn’t possible, like raises for your team, don’t make false promises. The more transparent you can be, the better. Be open and honest about the good and bad. Honesty goes a long way in building relationships as a new manager.

Implement Your Own Leadership Style

Breaking away from the mold your predecessor left can be difficult, especially when there is employee pushback.

However, don’t be afraid to implement your own leadership style. The more authentic you are, the easier it will be to build meaningful relationships with your team. Be upfront about which aspects of employee roles are changing, how you differ from your predecessor, and your vision for the future. Sharing your goals and “why” for changes can get everyone on the same page and reduce tension.

Looking to reinforce your new leadership approach and support your staff? Discover the top 10 techniques to make training a strong part of your company culture to ensure your team is fully equipped as you implement new workflows.

Don’t Make Employees Guess

When stepping into a new team, clarity is important to foster relationships.

Your employees shouldn’t have to guess on how to work with you. Provide them with step-by-step instructions on your expectations, workflows, and management style. For example, if you need to review financial reports two weeks after month-end, your team should understand that deadline. It’s also important to ensure your team has the proper support and resources to meet your expectations. Removing uncertainties can not only enhance team performance, but can also contribute to positive relationship growth.

Leverage Technology to Protect Your "Human" Time

It is incredibly difficult to build relationships as a new manager if you are buried in administrative busywork and reporting. This is where modern leaders use technology to their advantage.

By integrating AI-driven project management tools or workflow automation software, you can remove hours of manual data entry from your plate.

The goal isn't to replace human interaction with AI, but to use it to protect your schedule. When software handles the routine updates, report generation, and task routing, you reclaim crucial hours every week to sit down with your employees, coach your team, and focus on the vital human elements of leadership.

Want to dive deeper into striking the perfect balance between software and strategy? Explore our insights on people + technology: why humans still matter in the age of automation to build a truly modern, tech-enabled department.

Are you a manager of a remote (or hybrid) team? Check out our latest blog post: How to Effectively Manage a Remote Team: Tips to Making it Work.

Stepping into a new leadership role requires immense focus, and getting bogged down in transactional tasks makes it nearly impossible to build relationships as a new manager. When you partner with an expert outsourcing provider to handle time-consuming back-office processes, you instantly free up your schedule to focus on what matters most: your people and your strategy. If you are ready to reclaim your day and set your team up for scalable success, reach out to our team to see how virtual support can elevate your entire department.