Building Influence Quickly
How many of you have recently joined a new company, new org, or new team? Feeling overwhelmed can be an understatement as you try to navigate the org, get up to speed on the work, and carve out your role and responsibilities. As a Design Program Manager (DPM), it can feel even harder.
I recently changed teams at Facebook, leaving a community of 20-plus DPMs to become a team of 1. I was suddenly facing the familiar challenges of being the new DPM on the team. And I knew it would take time (and a lot of patience) for me to get up to speed on the teams and products within my new org. But rather than seeing this as a constraint, I saw it as an opportunity to focus on one of the most important aspects of being a DPM: truly getting to know your peers and your team.
Build relationships and the rest will follow
As DPMs, so much of our work is predicated on building and maintaining meaningful relationships in order for us to be dependable and reliable partners. Much of our impact comes from knowing everything and everyone so that we can make the right connections, unblock people, and proactively fill gaps that no one else can see from their perspective.
So where do we start? How can we quickly build influence and demonstrate our value? I begin with the absolutely necessary work of relationship building.
Ask, then listen
Having meaningful one-on-one meetings is a key way to establish connections and build a strong foundation. For these types of interactions, I do obvious things like show up on time and come prepared. But I usually start by asking the person open-ended questions with the hope that this will lead them to share more details about themselves and the team. Two examples: How and why did they choose to be on this team? What projects are they most excited about?
I let the conversation develop organically, but by asking questions, listening attentively, and demonstrating my overall curiosity and eagerness to learn, I have set the expectation that much of my work is to observe, listen, and understand people on my team so I can help them succeed.
Prioritize face-to-face time
The team I joined is spread out across several different cities, and even when we’re on the same Facebook campus, we’re in different buildings. When meeting someone for the first time, I make every effort to do so face-to-face. This demonstrates my level of commitment to building meaningful connections. I’ve even gone as far as flying to a different city to meet team members face-to-face.
Why does this effort matter? Because I’ve found that it gets considerably easier to work with someone after having met them in person and had a conversation with them as a human being, not just a colleague.
Show gratitude and empathy
It can be exhausting to have multiple face-to-face meetings in which you are constantly learning, but I try to never let it escape me that the person on the other end is also giving up their time to meet with me. I make every effort to show my appreciation and thank them for their time, especially if it’s someone I won’t interact with often.
It’s also important to acknowledge external constraints. For example, if I’m calling someone in New York from California and it’s late in the afternoon or early evening there, I call it out right away and thank them. This also demonstrates empathy, which goes a long way toward building trust.
Cast a wider net
My initial goal when joining a new org is, of course, to meet the people on the immediate team. But I also make the effort to meet with people outside of the immediate team because the wider the net I cast, the more connections I’m able to make. Whenever someone’s name pops up in conversation, I take note and try to follow up. It helps make the connections clearer to me and usually leads to even more relevant conversations.
Quick team wins
So what about the broader team? How can we provide value and contribute right off the bat as we’re getting up to speed? The obvious trap here is to take on too much which quickly sets you up for failure. The key is to find opportunities that allow folks to see you in action while giving you the space and time to develop relationships. For many DPMs, one of the easiest ways is to plan a team social gathering or offsite. It gets people away from their desks and creates an easy opportunity to get to know everyone. But I wanted to share some other meaningful ways to engage the team and provide immediate impact.
Steer the meetings
While it can be frustrating to attend initial meetings for which there’s no context, there are still plenty of opportunities to contribute. Being an active, engaged participant is a great first impression vs. being the quiet one in the corner. I rely on four ways to do this:
- Ensure there’s an agenda: Whether it’s before the meeting or as the meeting begins, I remind the meeting owner that they should share an agenda. This is both a chance for me to speak out and a surefire way to get everyone aligned on goals and outcomes of the meeting.
- Be the timekeeper: Once I know the agenda, I have a much better idea of how time should be allocated. By consciously keeping an eye on time, I’m able to keep the meeting on track.
- Ask if people are clear on next steps: This is an easy way to put the spotlight back on the attendees and determine if they are clear on next steps — even if I’m not. And if they’re not, it opens up an opportunity for clarification and, ultimately, productivity.
- Take notes: Whoa, whoa, whoa! I know what you’re thinking: DPMs shouldn’t be the ones always taking notes. But hear me out. In my experience, it’s an easy way to become an active participant. It also shows that I’m a team player and that I’m genuinely listening and eager to learn. It also gives me the ability to ask follow-up questions if something is unclear. This does not mean I’m signing up to take notes indefinitely — and I set that expectation up front.
Be an ally
DPMs are uniquely positioned to be an ally to our team members. We’re able to examine things holistically — from team dynamics to overall team health and morale. By being excellent listeners and observers, we share a unique and valuable perspective that benefits the entire team.
By showing up as an ally, I’m able to develop strong relationships as soon as I join a team. For example, it’s easy for me to simply attend a meeting as a passive participant. But I can also use it as an opportunity to look around the room and make sure everyone has a chance to be heard. It might be as simple as adjusting the VC camera so remote folks can see everyone in the room. Or inviting someone from the corner of the room to sit in an empty chair at the table. Or interrupting the interruptor and making sure everyone’s had a chance to share their opinion. As DPMs, we can set a higher bar for team inclusivity and lead by example.
Be present
Our value as DPMs directly correlates to the time we’re able to spend with our teams to better understand their needs and challenges. It’s impossible to add value if you’re heads-down at your computer. Whether it’s physically sitting with the team instead of with other managers, saying yes to any opportunity to get lunch with the team, or grabbing an ad hoc coffee with someone, I take every opportunity I can to be involved in the team’s day-to-day interactions.
The reality is we’ll have more time than their actual managers to interact with the team. As as a result, we’re providing value for both parties: the team feels like they have someone looking out for them day to day and the design managers feel like they have an extra set of eyes and ears to provide more signals into how their teams are operating.
Embrace unplanned connections
The best and easiest way to make meaningful connections with your team is through the unplanned conversations that take place between meetings and obligations.
In my second month at Facebook, my team had a multi-day offsite meeting. During the day, we had long meetings talking about our projects, but the real value came from the unplanned, unintentional conversations in between those meetings. During the flight, over meals, while going out for drinks or exploring the city: Conversations in these contexts helped me truly connect with my team and understand what they cared about. Connecting with people happens best when you’re able to hear them tell their stories and, in turn, tell your own.
Take photos
Final tip: There’s no better way to create a feeling of community than by capturing the experiences you’ve shared. I’ve always enjoyed being the team photographer and documenting outings, work trips, or even casual gatherings. Taking photos is an easy ice breaker and gives me a chance to engage people that are new on the team. The photos also act as artifacts that the team will cherish.
Building relationships, making sure all team members have a voice, and creating meaningful interactions have helped me quickly build value and influence. If we put our teams first, just like we put our users first when building products, we’re able to approach our work with empathy and compassion to build a strong foundation.
I’m curious to know: What has worked for you?
