At Digital Island, our VP of IT left under difficult circumstances, and I took over. The department was generally split into two factions, one loyal to the former VP and the other who wanted him out. We were a relatively small team (54 people), and I needed both groups to work together for us to succeed. And this was just as the Internet bubble was beginning to pop, with our stock price falling to below $1. Projects were being stopped. Morale was very low. A lot of incomplete initiatives were giving us heartache.

The first thing I did was to speak with all of the influential people in the department on both sides. The group that was opposed to the VP was afraid that I'd lay them all off. I let them know that I needed and wanted them on the team. I immediately re-instated the weekly leadership meetings, and we had frank discussions about where we stood, and what was expected of our department. A number of issues had been put on hold during the preceding months, and this was an opportunity for me to get some quick wins. And I set up individual meetings with each of my direct reports, and a weekly meeting for myself with my new boss.

We had different levels of management capability on our team. Some managers were very good, and for them the weekly meetings were an opportunity to review their list of priorities, identify issues, and communicate about deliverables. Other managers needed more mentoring, which I was happy to give. The whole experience gave me added confidence, as I saw that I was an effective team builder, and could be supportive and tough as the situations demanded.