HBR Guide to Leading Teams (HBR Guide Series)

Chapter 2

Get to Know One Another

Now that you’ve identified the skills and expertise your project needs and pulled together your team, it’s time for your launch meeting. You’ve made a PowerPoint deck outlining the project. You’ve provided coffee and donuts, and everyone’s sitting around the table expectantly. How do you begin? If you’re like most of us, you welcome everyone, introduce yourself, and then ask each person to share his or her name, title, and maybe “a little about yourself.”

But hang on. Don’t zip past those introductions. Before you dig into that deck and start explaining and organizing tasks, it’s essential to gather some personal data to help the group establish effective goals, roles, and rules of conduct. I’m not suggesting ...