Every promo company faces change, whether it’s a new manager, a new team member, or shifting business goals. What separates successful companies from the rest is how they manage these transitions. While change can be tricky, it can also strengthen both your culture and your team’s performance. It all comes down to how you handle those changes.
To explore what this looks like in practice, Dr. Mahreen Khan and Gianna Ciaccio crafted a piece for the Atlassian blog on how new managers can support their team through leadership changes. We highlight the post in this issue of PromoPro Daily.
Prioritize clear, early communication. Did you just join your promo company? Ciaccio and Dr. Khan recommend communicating early and often with your team. Ideally, the previous leader shared some information about you already, but if not, you can start with the basics. Tell the team who you are, the reason for the leadership change and why you’re a good fit for the role. If you’re stepping in temporarily, Dr. Khan and Ciaccio advise including details about your scope and the timeline for filling the role permanently.
Facilitate a warm handover. If you’re inheriting a new team and the previous manager is still around, they suggest setting up a dedicated handover session. Use this time to connect on each team member’s goals, key team rituals and any immediate priorities, like performance reviews or critical projects. Ciaccio and Dr. Khan say this ensures you’re not just inheriting tasks but also understanding and supporting the team’s culture and providing continuity.
Invest in relationships from day one. This is how you develop trust. Work on building rapport through 1-on-1 conversations and create regular opportunities for connection, whether it’s through team lunches or team-building activities. The goal, according to Ciaccio and Dr. Khan, is to truly get to know your team members as individuals.
Align on goals and expectations quickly. The sooner you and your team align on objectives, success metrics and ways of working, the less confusion and fewer missteps there will be. Dr. Khan and Ciaccio say that for new managers, this means listening to what’s already working and where it might be useful to try something different.
If you’re a new manager yourself or you plan to bring on a new leader, don’t let the transition throw you off. When you communicate clearly and focus on a warm handover, you build trust faster and help set your team up for success.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Dr. Mahreen Khan, Atlassian’s senior researcher, people insights, and Gianna Ciaccio, Atlassian’s senior people data scientist.
