Hi Maria,

Whether it be professional or otherwise, it is all part of life. Too often, it seems that employers (and even some employees) strive to deny basic human behavior when they enter the workplace. But, the truth is that we can’t simply flip a switch and not be people.

For that reason, lean on authenticity and empathy. Be clear on your values, and choose your actions with those values to guide you. Practice mindfulness and be intentional about your choices. If you find yourself strategizing, take a step back and remember the human perspective of the situation. It will never fail you.

Best wishes and much success!

-Kristi

To the East Side

Just had to include that. But seriously Maria, what I did just there is certainly a great ice breaker whenever there is an introduction or tension within a company or at a job. Be creative.
Regarding your situation, if you want your team to gel with one another, it starts with you. I assume this new position is being the new boss after your previous boss left. You will have to be comfortable talking and guiding/leading others. So if you suffer from any public speaking or social anxiety, now is the time to take care of it. Be ready to lead staff meetings and address your co workers with progress as well as concerns. You mentioned how you are not afraid to take risks and one component of being the boss is doing things that are not popular with everyone. This is what separates leaders from followers.
A second component would be learn how to listen to your employees whether it be about work or their personal issues. Well almost everyone comes to work with their issues and thus affects their performance.
As well one thing that I have noticed is that employees respond better when you come up to them and ask to speak with them rather than “shout” for them or have them paged, etc.

Thank you and take care
-85

Hello,

It’s really wonderful what happened, and however it goes, trust me it will look amazing on your CV and will open many possibilities in future. I see that you are very invested in making this work and I can say you got some wonderful advises already. I always believe in treating people in human manner and they will respond with dedication.

But in this process, please never forget to draw a line somewhere, because unfortunately there will always (always!) be someone who will try to exploit your kindness, and there might be also someone who will use your dedication and determination, in order to ‘load’ you with even more responsibilities, sometime more than it’s humanly possible to handle. It happens often to young and inspired people. Work hard, be warm and kind, but never let anyone mistake your kindness for weakness 🙂

I wish you a lot of luck, and also to enjoy this wonderful journey that is ahead of you. I believe this is a beginning of an amazing career!