What to Say in Your First Team Update as a New Leader
When a new leader arrives, the team often has questions before the leader has answers. Will our priorities change? Who can make decisions while roles are being reviewed? What should I tell my staff this afternoon? A short, specific update can give people something they can act on while you learn how the team works.
In a recent LEIBA Consulting LinkedIn post, I wrote about the silence that can follow a leadership transition. That silence often starts with a reasonable instinct: wait until you have enough information to speak. The people doing the work, though, may need direction today. Your first update can give them that direction while making clear which decisions are still open.
Give people three things they can use
Share what’s settled. Name a priority or operating decision people can count on this week. For a primary care team, that might mean keeping the current scheduling process in place while you review appointment access.
Name the open decision and what will inform it. If you’re considering a scheduling change, tell the team what you need to learn first. Ask schedulers where requests get stuck and ask clinicians which appointment types are hardest to accommodate. Give people a specific way to contribute.
Put the next update on the calendar. Tell people when you’ll report back, even if you expect the decision to take longer. At that check-in, share what you learned, what you’ve decided, and when the remaining questions will be addressed.
Try this at your next team huddle
Write one sentence for each of the three points and read them aloud. For example: “We’re keeping our scheduling process in place this week. Before we decide whether to change it, I’d like each clinic to send one example of an appointment request that was hard to place. I’ll share what we learned and what we’ll do next at Friday’s huddle.”
Before you close, ask: “What will your team need to know by tomorrow that I haven’t covered?” The answer can tell you whether your next update needs to come sooner or whether a specific decision needs an owner today.
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