Latest / New Manager Conversations with Fexingo: First 90 Days, Managing Former Peers, and Leadership Basics / How New Managers Can Lead a Team Through Change
Transcript
- Lucas: So you've been in your new manager role for maybe three months now. You've survived the initial chaos of learning who does what, you're starting to feel like you know the rhythm. And then your VP calls you in and says the team is pivoting to a new priority. Everything you've just started building is about to be rebuilt. Luna: And that moment — that's where a lot of new managers freeze. Because you're still figuring out your own footing, and now you're supposed to lead other people through uncertainty. Lucas: Exactly. Today I want to talk about change management from the perspective of a first-time manager. Not the theory from a textbook — the actual conversation you have to have with your team on a Tuesday morning. Luna: And honestly, if we've helped you think through a career move or a tricky leadership moment, we'd love it if you considered supporting the show. A couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these episodes ad-free and coming out every day. It's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo — just a simple way to say this matters to you. Lucas: Yeah, it really does make a difference. So let's dig into the concrete stuff. I want to start with a case I came across recently — a product team at a mid-sized SaaS company called Relay, about 200 employees. A new manager named Priya took over a team of five engineers right as the company decided to shift from a standalone app to an api first model. Luna: That's a massive change. The engineers had been building features for the app for two years. Suddenly their whole skill set feels less relevant. Lucas: Right. And Priya later told me that her first instinct was to jump straight into logistics — new roadmap, new deadlines, new sprint planning. But one of her senior engineers pulled her aside and said, 'No one on this team has processed what we're losing.' Luna: Oh, that's powerful. Because managers often skip the grief stage. They assume people will just adapt. Luna: So what did Priya actually do? How did she handle that first week? Lucas: She did something counterintuitive. Instead of trying to sell the change as all positive, she scheduled one-on-ones with each team member and asked a single question: 'What do you want to preserve from how we work now?' Luna: That's genius. It acknowledges the loss but gives people a sense of continuity. Lucas: Yes. And it also surfaced things she hadn't considered. One engineer said their code review process was really solid, and she made sure that carried over. Another mentioned their Friday demos, which kept everyone aligned. She kept those too. Luna: So the message wasn't 'everything changes and it's great' — it was 'some things will be different, but we're keeping what works.' Lucas: Exactly. And then, once people felt heard, she moved to what I'd call the 'change story.' Not a PowerPoint deck with a timeline. A story about why this pivot matters, told in three sentences: where we were, why we need to shift, and what success looks like in six months. Luna: And she told that story herself? Or did her VP do it? Lucas: She told it. That's the key — as a new manager, you can't delegate the storytelling to senior leadership. Your team needs to hear it from you. They need to know that you understand the change and that you're committed to navigating it with them. Luna: I think a lot of new managers worry they won't have all the answers. And they don't. But they can still be honest about what they know and what they don't. Lucas: Right. Priya was very open. She said, 'I don't have the full roadmap yet. What I do know is our direction, and I'll share updates as I learn them.' That honesty built trust. Luna: It's interesting — when you're new, you might feel pressure to appear in control. But admitting uncertainty can actually make people more willing to follow you. Lucas: There's research on this. A study from Harvard Business Review found that leaders who express vulnerability — within reason — are perceived as more approachable and more competent, not less. Luna: But what about the people who resist? Every team has at least one person who digs in and says, 'This is a bad idea, I'm not on board.' Lucas: That's a great question. Priya had one such person — a senior engineer named Ravi who was very vocal about the pivot being a mistake. Instead of trying to convince him, she gave him a role in the transition. She asked him to lead the technical evaluation of a new API tool they were considering. Luna: So she turned the resistor into a contributor. That's smart — it gives them a sense of control over the change. Lucas: Exactly. Control is a huge factor. When people feel they have no say, resistance goes up. When you give them a slice of ownership, even a small one, they're more likely to engage. Luna: What about the broader team communication? Did she do a big kickoff meeting or something? Lucas: She did a small team meeting — just her five people — and she kept it to 30 minutes. She laid out the 'why' in her three-sentence story, then opened the floor for questions. Not 'any questions?' — she specifically asked, 'What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear this news?' Luna: That's a great framing. It invites honest reactions rather than forcing people to formulate a coherent question on the spot. Lucas: And she didn't try to answer everything. Some questions she said, 'I don't know yet, but I'll find out by Friday.' Then she followed up. That follow-through is what separates good managers from the rest. Luna: So let's say I'm a new manager listening to this, and tomorrow I have to announce a change to my team. What's my action plan? Lucas: Three steps. First, before you say anything, sit with your own feelings about the change. If you're anxious or doubtful, that's fine — but you need to process it so it doesn't leak out in a way that undermines your message. Luna: Right, because your team will pick up on your tone more than your words. Lucas: Second, craft your change story. Three sentences: where we were, why we need to pivot, what success looks like in six months. Practice it out loud. Luna: And third? Lucas: Third, schedule one-on-ones with every team member within 48 hours of the announcement. Use the question: 'What do you want to preserve?' and then listen. Don't problem-solve yet. Just listen. Luna: And then follow up on what you heard. That's the piece that's easy to forget. Lucas: Exactly. Priya kept a simple spreadsheet — one row per person, one column for what they wanted to preserve, one column for what they were worried about, and a status column for follow-ups. She reviewed it every week for the first month. Luna: That's such a concrete takeaway. I think a lot of new managers think change management is about having the right slides or the right phrases. But it's really about the system you put in place to keep people informed and heard. Lucas: And the system can be as simple as a spreadsheet. The point isn't the tool, it's the discipline. A weekly 15-minute check-in with each person during a transition is worth more than a quarterly all-hands. Luna: I want to go back to something you said earlier — about the change story. What if you don't have a clear six-month vision? What if the leadership is still figuring it out? Lucas: Then you say that. 'We're heading in this direction, but the specifics are still being worked out. Here's what I know today, and here's when I'll know more.' People can handle ambiguity if they trust you'll keep them updated. Luna: There's a great example from a friend of mine who manages a customer support team. Her company was acquired, and for three months no one knew if the team would stay or be outsourced. She held a weekly 10-minute stand-up every Monday just to say, 'No news yet. I'll let you know as soon as I do.' Lucas: And that consistency — showing up every week even when there's nothing new — is what kept the team from unraveling. Because silence is worse than bad news. Luna: Right. When you go silent, people fill the gap with worst-case scenarios. Lucas: So the big takeaway for new managers: change is not a one-time announcement. It's a process that lasts weeks or months. Your job is to be the steady presence — the person who listens, who tells the story, who follows up, and who gives people some control over what's happening. Luna: And if you do that, you'll not only get through the change — you'll build a team that trusts you more than before. Lucas: I think that's the part that surprises new managers most. A well-handled transition can actually strengthen your relationship with the team. Because they see you as someone who has their back when things are uncertain. Luna: So here's a question to leave listeners with: What's one thing you can do this week to prepare your team for an upcoming change, even if that change hasn't been announced yet? Lucas: Start building that trust now. The best time to lay the foundation for change communication is before the change even happens. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time.