I am a newly appointed R & D team leader in a medical device company in Minnesota. I should point out that I have no previous management experience. The prior team leader had very little discipline or structure in the way he led the team. As a result, the overall work ethic is poor. People come to work late and leave early and often take extended lunch hours. We are behind schedule and over budget in several areas. Can you give me some advice on how to begin a turn-around process?

As a leader, you never have more power to make changes than you do during the first few weeks in a new job. With that said, let me offer the following three suggestions:

1. Assess the Environment

   Effective leaders do their homework before charging into action. The first thing to do is to assess the corporate culture. Is it one of accountability where people can be fired for poor performance or is it one that is more paternalistic? If you decide to bring strong discipline to the team, will the culture, including your manager, support your actions? Is your manager personally close with any of your direct reports to the degree that he or she will countermand any tough action by you? Are there sufficient good workers on the team who will welcome your approach and bring pressure on the poor performers to fall in line? You need to determine answers to all of these questions before you do anything else.

2. Collect Relevant Data

   Perform due diligence by assembling all schedules, budgets, performance reviews and information from internal customers and suppliers. Determine specifically where the team is doing well and where they are falling behind.

3. Create and Communicate a Turn-Around Plan

   Once you have assessed the environment and reviewed all relevant data, you are now in a position to develop a turn-around plan. Meet with the entire team to present your plan. Be specific in showing them how they are performing against budgets and schedule. Ask for their involvement and support. Use this as an opportunity to spell out your leadership philosophy and expectations. Next, meet individually with each team member to go over his or her role in executing the plan.

Now that you have established expectations and goals, you have a structure for measurement and reporting. If behavior continues to be unacceptable, consider sending a strong signal by taking disciplinary action with the most egregious offender. Naturally, strong action like this needs to be supported up the line by your management.

Copyright 2006, Mark J. Campbell. All rights reserved.
Permission to reprint the "The Team from Hell" article is granted, provided you let me know where it is being printed, the copyright is not removed, and the following text accompanies each article:

"Mark Campbell partners with organizations for leadership development. For a complimentary subscription to his newsletter, "Management Challenges," go to www.mjcampbellassoc.com."

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