“Now I have a team,” Melanie lamented.

“You seem off-balance,” I replied.

“It’s my first team. I’m the manager now,” she took a deep breath. “I woke up this morning and my relationship with the team changed. I don’t know what they want or need from me. I had a dream last night that they all quit and I was left alone.”

“Team members have three simple questions,” I replied. “If you answer these, there is a high liklihood that your team will not abandon you.”

• What is expected of me?
• How am I doing?
• Who do I go to for help?

“The third question is the key,” I said. “On any team, that’s how I identify the manager. Who do they go to for help? That person helps them answer the first two questions. It is a question of WHO?”

Melanie repeated the questions. “Who helps me set expectations in my role, to which I agree? Who helps me understand how I am doing? Who do I go to for help?”

“Take your team one by one,” I nodded. “Help them answer those questions. Not easy, but simple.”