I've covered the theory behind new leader transitions here before. At a recent meeting in Houston, we had the opportunity to hear from a panel of five newly placed executives about the reality of transition for them.
Every one of them has been an initial success, based on the fact that all will have delivered significant, visible early wins within their first six months. None of them followed a rigorous "new leader plan" of the type I've covered in the past. However, as the discussion below shows, they all paid attention to two key aspects of new leader transition (more on that after the discussion).
[Note: To protect anonymity, the new leaders are designated by capital letters A through E.]
Question: "What did you do before Day One to ensure a fast start; and what did you do on Day One?"
A, a senior HR leader, had a series of meetings with key stakeholders before Day One. On Day One he was at the offices of a newly acquired subsidiary, managing the HR issues associated with the acquisition.
B stayed engaged with the recruiting team between the offer and Day One.
C moved into a new industry about which he knew very little. He devoted the days before Day One to study about that industry.
D met with key stakeholders before Day One.
Question: "What will be your first major win in this new role?"
D has already developed the first IT strategy his firm has ever had, along with a detailed implementation plan.
C redesigned the company's top-level leadership development program, garnering rave reviews in its first presentation.
E developed a plan that will help the owner of his client liquidate his investment.
B changed his organization's approach to projects, bringing in more focus and improving project execution. In addition, he was able to solve a chronic problem that had plagued his boss for years.
Question: "Your first months must have been filled with long hours. How and when did you decide it was time to settle into a more normal routine?
B hasn't been able to settle into more reasonable hours yet. He plans to keep hard at it until he feels his understanding of the business is at the 85 percent level.
A ran flat-out until his health forced a cut-back.
D made a pact with himself to hold his hours to a reasonable level. Because he was familiar with the industry, he needed little time to come up to speed. So far, he reports, he has kept his promise to himself.
While there are many keys to a successful new leader transition, all five of our leaders paid careful attention to at least two:
All five made use of the time between accepting the offer and Day One to prepare for a fast start.
All five identified early-wins that would be significant, visible, and obviously due to their efforts. And all five delivered on those early wins.
When you are preparing to move into a new role, remember the keys of a successful start:
Before Day One, identify and meet with all key stakeholders. Get your hands on the reports and documents that will tell you the story of your part of the business to date. If possible, take care of all the administrative stuff (getting a desk, signing forms, and so on).
Control the agenda for Day One. Don't just show up and wander around. Clearly plan what you will say to whom, where and when.
In your first month, pull your team off-site to get aligned on mission, vision, objectives, goals, strategies and values.
Be sure to set clear milestones and put tracking systems in place.
By the end of your second month, identify one or two early wins, and then over-invest in them to ensure delivery by the end of the sixth month.
Make your people decisions in the third month or earlier.
And remember to take care of your own mental and physical health!
To read more posts like this, see the Career category.
[Photo: "Avatar-Based Marketing: What's the Future for Real-Life Companies Marketing to Second Life Avatars?" by John Lester, posted on Flickr under an attribution license.]
