Coaching by Stillwater Blog

The New Leader Dilemma

In the past three weeks, I have had the opportunity to talk with a lot of people about the challenges of becoming a leader in a new organization. In every case, the person recognized how they needed to get "traction" sooner and had no support for rapid assimilation into their new role.

In today's fast paced business environment, companies can't wait months and months for someone to prove themselves. Yet, the company creates its own trouble by not providing sufficient support to get new managers up to speed quickly.

One manager told me he's been with his new company for just a number of months. Brought in from another big name firm with a stellar track record, everyone's hopes for his success have been high.

He's got a big plan to hit, but his team is operating at about 50% power and he's getting more frustrated by the day.   

Is it too late?

Experience shows, the longer the struggle lasts, the less likely the manager will ever succeed. How can the company afford to take someone who clearly could be an asset to the organization and allow this opportunity to be squandered?

The company has invested huge amounts of money to bring him in. Investments include recruiting fees, travel, relocation, time and effort, not to mention lost business, a demoralized manager and team members. Now they risk losing this highly talented manager.

Some companies estimate the cost of bringing a replacement at up to seven times salary.

Why should organizations care?

This situation was preventable. Rather than letting the manager flounder, the organization could have invested in an assimilation program and coach for the new manager and his team to focus on early wins and knock down some of the initial barriers that now seem so big.

It's not too late, but certainly this manager's image is being forged. It will take time to re-brand him as the true talent he is.

There is a simple process that can be implemented within a few weeks of the new manager's start date. It taps into the wisdom of key stakeholders and provides clarity, focus and prioritization.

The new manager and his team are positioned to execute early wins, build positive momentum and take on the bigger challenges. Building off data gathered from key players, the manager and his assimilation coach design and conduct a team meeting with his direct reports. They develop and implement key action steps that drive for high gain results that demonstrate capabilities.

These early wins build credibility and trust within the organization. In turn, credibility and trust makes it easier for the manager to gain cooperation and support from others. This builds a virtuous cycle that enhances the organization's hopes for success. That's why it's more important than ever for organizations to help their new leaders get off to a running start.

Getting Results: The Name of the Game

The most crucial time for a new leader in an organization is the first 90 to 120 days. The leader needs to demonstrate capacity to get traction on key issues and provide evidence of “worth” through quick wins. The focus is on developing trust and alignment of key stakeholders at all levels of the organization.

So You Have a Great New Opportunity

Don’t Blow It!

You’ve recently been appointed to a new role and are expected to take the organization to “the next level” of performance.

Obviously, you were the best bet for the job, but ...

• You are being watched closely
• You better start getting results as soon as you walk in the door
• The honeymoon will be short, possibly not sweet

Realize it or not, you ARE the change, or at least a big part if it. The challenge is to quickly get you assimilated into your new role so you can make a difference … fast.

If you are like most new managers, you’ll immediately get swept up in the activity of multiple meetings, reacting to the clutter of “urgent” issues and won’t get a chance to really set direction and strategy.

Before you know it, 6 months will have past and, you may ask, “Where's the time gone and what have I accomplished?”

You don’t want your new boss asking the same question unless you have a positive response.

Whether you were an external hire or promoted from within, you need to catch on quickly and start building a series of quick, effective wins.

You have a new team reporting to you, each with their own expectations of what you should do.

Your new peers want to influence how you and your team work with them and the other stakeholders are looking forward to getting their needs met too.

And, no surprise, your manager is looking anxiously for results.

It's a high stakes game.

What you do to quickly assimilate into your new role during first few weeks can determine if you will be successful or bomb. 

“Just jump in” may be your approach, but it can lead to disaster.

It is too easy to get pulled under by the whirlpools of activity and “latest priorities.” If you don’t develop a carefully thought out action plan, you may find yourself spinning your wheels and negatively impacting the performance of your team.

It is crucial to accelerate your assimilation. You have to reduce the amount of time it takes to make positive contribution and build to a future of success.

What do you do?

A proven approach is to get an “assimilation coach.” 

You and your coach will build actionable plans focused on achieving business results within weeks. The coach helps you, your team and your stakeholders identify and prioritize meaningful priorities that lead to quick wins.

Working with a coach can help avoid mistakes that might otherwise tarnish your reputation or harm the organization.

Certainly, you think you can do this work on your own. But, the clock is ticking. Doing it on your own, while heroic could cause delays and missed opportunities to capture those early wins you need to establish a positive reputation for action.