From Chaos to Cooperation: A New Manager’s Guide to Inheriting a Messy Team

Stepping into a leadership role can be exciting, but what if the team you inherit is a complete mess? You didn’t make the mess, but you’re tasked with cleaning it up. There’s a lack of accountability, low to no organization, roles are not clearly defined, and it’s resulted in low morale, broken systems, or a culture of underperformance. This can be disheartening even for the practiced manager, not to mention a team used to low-level oversight that is now anticipating (and resistant to) change. If you find yourself managing a dysfunctional team for the first time, don’t panic. You have the power to rebuild and redefine your department’s future. Here’s how to take charge and create a thriving, high-performing team.

Define Your Vision as a Leader

Before you can fix what’s broken, you need to be clear on who you are as a leader and what you want your team to become. To crystallize your vision, take the time to deep dive into your goals. Sit down with pen and paper. Record your responses as you move through the questions in this self-interview. Ask:

1. What Kind of Culture Do I Want to Build?

The culture you cultivate sets the tone for your team’s dynamics and performance. Consider the following aspects:

• Collaboration: Encouraging open communication and teamwork.
• Innovation: Fostering an environment where new ideas are welcomed.
• Accountability: Promoting ownership of tasks and responsibilities.
• Inclusivity: Ensuring diverse perspectives are valued.

Reflect on which of these elements align with your vision and how they can be integrated into your team’s daily operations.

2. What Values Will Guide My Leadership?

Your leadership values serve as the guiding principles for your decisions and interactions. Key values to consider include:

• Integrity: How will you uphold honesty and transparency?
• Respect: How will you demonstrate the value of each team member’s contributions?
• Empathy: In what ways will you understand and address team members’ needs?
• Growth: What systems will you put in place to encourage continuous learning and development?

Identifying and embodying these values will help you lead authentically and build trust within your team.

3. What Are My Expectations for Performance and Behavior?

Clear expectations are essential for guiding your team toward success. Consider the following both for yourself and with regard your company expectations (what is expected in the company handbook and policies, what is expected of you by the manager you report to, etc.) so that you can be clear and aligned:

• Performance Standards: Define specific goals and quality benchmarks for team members
• Behavioral Norms: Establish guidelines for professional conduct and collaboration.
• Communication Protocols: Set your expectations for how information will be shared and discussed.

Clearly articulating these expectations ensures alignment and provides a framework for accountability, so get specific. Again, write your expectations down. Without the precision of clarity, you won’t be able to build the trust with your team. They need as clear a picture of where you’re leading them as you do.

By thoughtfully considering these questions, you can develop a leadership approach that fosters a positive culture, is grounded in strong values, and sets clear expectations, ultimately guiding your team toward success. Clarity in your vision will give you a foundation to make decisions, set goals, and communicate effectively with your team. This also gives you an opportunity to align your vision and priorities with upper management AND solicit their support so you’re not going it alone!

Clarify Priorities

Not everything can be fixed at once, so focus on the biggest impact areas first. Identify the following, also by taking the time to write out your responses:

• What are the most pressing team challenges?
• What are three quick wins that can boost morale?
• What are two or three long-term strategies that align with your vision?

Be sure to communicate these goals to your team. Having clear priorities will help your team know where to focus their energy and give you quick momentum. Being able to check off a win will boost their confidence in your capabilities and theirs under your leadership. Seeing success together will aid in creating a bond, furthering you as a team. You are going to need that since they have been working together and you are the outlier.

Declare a Fresh Start: New Day Zero

It’s easy to get caught up in the past—what went wrong, who’s to blame—but dwelling on it won’t fix the future. Instead, gather your team for a reset meeting. This should be an All Hands meeting your District Manager or head of HR should attend. Let everyone know:

• “We’re starting fresh.” This will signal a clean slate and encourage team members to embrace this opportunity.
• “Here’s what fair means to me.” Explain how you intend to distribute workloads, recognize achievements, and address concerns. This clarity helps set expectations and fosters trust.
• “Here’s what success looks like.” Include specific goals, behavioral standards, and performance metrics. Providing a clear vision helps align the team’s efforts and motivates individuals toward common objectives. These need to include your behavioral standards. How will you handle infractions? You will need to be consistent going forward. It’s important you don’t become reactive. More on why in the next section.

By making it clear that past issues will not dictate the future, you set a new tone for accountability, respect, and progress. It also frees you from the mistake of blaming your predecessor. Ill will isn’t a good look and won’t get you far. This way, you get to start fresh with everyone else.

Hold Your Team to New Standards

Change doesn’t happen without accountability. Once you’ve set expectations, enforce them. Be fair but firm. Most of all, be consistent. The going will get tough, but that doesn’t mean you need to change gears. Instead of sharpening your claws and going on the offensive, maintain the status quo you set on Day Zero by:

• Immediately addressing poor performance. You’ve made expectations for performance clear. Failure to meet performance expectations requires immediate response. Remind team members of the standards so they can rise to the occasion and so they recognize the true shift in leadership.
• Encouraging and recognizing progress. Just as important as holding team members accountable for poor performance is recognizing positive performance. Letting team members know you see and value what they are doing well will encourage them to continue excellence.
• Modeling the behaviors you expect. Be the change. You can’t say one thing and do another. Make sure you are showing the team that you are part of the team, not apart from the team.

Accountability is key to transforming a dysfunctional team into a high-performing one.

Expect a Valley of Despair

Again, the real meat of Day Zero is your followup. A struggling team often lacks structure. Defining clear workflows, expectations, and accountability measures is only effective if you hold your team accountable to the reestablished standards using (hopefully) existing systems and process.

You can expect a decline in performance as a result of initial resistance by team members. David Viney posits this resistance to be akin to a grief response; that the initial reaction is that “change” is perceived as “loss.” Team members will cycle through the stages of grief which include anger. Because you are the initiator of change, or loss, you become the target of these emotional responses.

However, as long as you maintain an even keel in choppy waters–meaning you follow the role of leadership you established from Day Zero–you will see positive outcomes. Eventually, team members who are unwilling to rise to reestablished standards will move on. The team that comes together will work better together and reach higher goal markers. Consistency builds stability, and stability fosters high performance.

Drive Toward Your Vision

Transformation takes time, but consistency wins the race. Keep reinforcing your vision, adjusting as needed, and staying transparent with your team. Celebrate wins, learn from setbacks, and stay committed to the culture and performance standards you set.

Conclusion

Inheriting a mess doesn’t mean you have to manage one forever. With a clear vision, fresh start, structured processes, and accountability, you can transform your team into one that thrives. Leadership isn’t about fixing the past—it’s about building a better future. So take the reins, set the course, and lead with confidence.