The First Few Weeks Tell You Everything
Before you fix the team, watch the team.
September has a particular rhythm. The kids are back at school. Teams are back from summer vacations. Projects that slowed down in July and August start moving again. And in those first few weeks, you can learn a lot — if you pay attention.
As a parent, I notice it with my daughters. You can tell pretty quickly whether a new routine is working. Who is tired. Who is overwhelmed. What is going smoothly. What needs adjusting.
Teams are no different.
When people come back into a busier rhythm, old habits reappear. Communication gaps become obvious. Workloads shift. New people may still be finding their footing.
The temptation for leaders is to jump in immediately and start fixing. Sometimes the better first move is to observe. Who’s asking for help? Who’s carrying too much? Who seems disconnected? Where is the work slowing down? Where are people compensating for a process that no longer makes sense?
The first few weeks of a new season tell you a lot about the health of a team. You just have to resist the urge to assume you already know the answer.
Watch first. Ask questions. Then act. Leadership isn’t always about moving fastest. Sometimes it’s about seeing clearly before you move at all.
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