Building Trust with a New Team

1. Be vulnerable, first

 

I have come to the plant as a trainee manager for one year as of April 6th this year.  Plant people may have questioned why they have to report to the guy with sales/marketing backgrounds just for his training purpose.  I made myself vulnerable at the beginning. I flatly accepted the fact that I had never led the operational team.  At the same time, I explained my 20 years company history with emotional ups and downs.  I seemed to have acquired their acceptance as a team member.  People started calling me "Sensei" like Karate-kid movie. People made themselves open to the benefits of sharing my many long-term experiences with Japanese OEM customers.  As I try to learn from them how to lead operations, they are trying to learn Japanese manufacturing concepts from me.

2. Ask questions instead of making assertive comments

 

Based on the "Butterfly" concept of "constructive conversations,” I am trying to ask 4 to 5 questions before I make one assertive comment.  It is almost funny how people react to it.  Some of them asked me if every Japanese manager is promoting people's commitments by asking questions.

 

I firmly believe we should not take Positive Organizational Scholarship as inter-personal skill-set, but we should take it as how we live our life.  To me, becoming an effective leader is the synonyms of being a better human being.

 

Best regards,