James Metcalfe
One of the first things you should do after a promotion is find out what every direct report on your team cares about. Speak with each person one-on-one and take detailed notes. Ask them what they feel the company does well, what they feel the company could improve upon, and what they feel is the most impactful thing you can do to make their job better.
This exercise establishes that you are (1) receptive to the needs of your team, (2) willing to take action on their behalf, and (3) personally responsible for building a great place to work. As a result, your team will be more likely to share ideas in the future and should begin emulating your behavior. In fact, if your direct reports have teams of their own, you should explicitly expect them to do the same thing you’re doing.
Contributor: Dave Lane, CEO from inventiv
