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This newsletter is dedicated to my father. He was a gifted baseball player and coach who taught us that life is a lot like baseball. It's a long season and every day is an opportunity to learn and begin anew. |
Leadership Transition: Oops!
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Early in her career, this leader was hired from the outside into a large, established company to bring needed new expertise to the company. Convinced that she had to prove her expertise and value quickly, she took bold action to dismantle existing practices and add new and improved practices to her new department. Her organization quickly gained a reputation for doing great work and delivering high value results. All of this success came with a cost, however. Unknowingly, this new leader offended key peers in the process of making significant changes. Their opposition eventually created roadblocks to greater long-term progress. This leader wishes she could go back and do it differently. I know. That leader was me! |
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"Leaders, regardless of their level, are most vulnerable in their first few months in the new position because they lack detailed knowledge of the challenges they will face and what it will take to succeed in meeting them; they have also not yet developed a network of relationships to sustain them."
-Michael Watkins, Harvard Business School |
| Leadership Challenge | | |
I (or someone I coach and/or supervise) am moving into a new leadership role. How do I assure a successful transition into the new role?
In a world that is constantly changing, organizations continue to change - either proactively or reactively. Successful leaders become masters of sustainable change and transition, enabling themselves and others to move in new directions and produce extraordinary results. Leaders in new roles often look at the complexity of the task and situation and ask "Where do I start?" Here's a beginning.
Leadership Transition Cliff Notes ~
The Four Fundamentals
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Prepare yourself
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Build strong relationships with others
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Focus on results
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Make a plan for implementing items 1, 2, and 3 above
1. Prepare yourself
Your checklist
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What possibilities do I see in this new situation?
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How will I gather information and learn what I need to know about the new situation? (Consider written material, info available on line, and knowledgeable others)
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How will I know that I've succeeded in the new role?
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In order to succeed in this new role, what will I want to change about how I lead? What will I keep, leave behind, add related to my leadership practices?
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What will be my biggest challenges and how will I address them?
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How will I let go of my old job and stay open to learning in the new one?
2. Build strong relationships with others
Your checklist
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How will I develop an aligned, engaged and effective leadership team?
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Who are my key allies (boss, colleagues, staff, Board members, externals, etc.) and how will I develop those relationships?
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Who can help me understand what I need to know?
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How will I get to know employees and assure that they know me?
3. Focus on results
Your checklist
- What quick wins do I want to achieve and how will I do so?
- How will I get my organization focused and committed to a few high priority goals in support of a longer term strategy?
- How will we measure progress and success?
- How will I acknowledge progress and results?
- One year from now, what have we accomplished?
4. Make a 90-day plan
Your checklist
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Who will help me build and implement the plan? When and how will I engage them?
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How will I meaningfully engage my team in this?
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What will I do on the first day? First week? First month? Second month? Third month?
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| Leadership Transition: Success Story #1: | |
Carol was a peer in a quality assurance (QA) group when she was tapped to become the group's new leader. She and her HR person discussed her transition into the new role. They knew that it would likely be challenging to lead those who had been peers. They discussed her vision for the group and what she wanted to do to bring the group to its next level of success. This was a group that felt it "got no respect" from the rest of the organization. Team members worked long hours and spent a lot of time on the road, visiting company sites. They were committed to their work, but felt demoralized and under-appreciated. Carol's promotion felt like a "slap in the face" to some group members. Carol and her HR partner invited me to join in their thinking and planning. Together, we built a plan that included, among other things, a two-day gathering of all team members to (1) learn more about Carol's vision & plan and shape a vision and plan for the group; (2) meet with leaders from adjacent groups in the business to express authentic appreciation for this group's work and build new working agreements; and (3) produce increased alignment and collaboration among QA team members. With a finely tuned plan, alignment, and increased engagement, the team moved forward into a new future. In the coming year, their engagement scores on the corporate engagement survey soared as they met all goals and produced results. |
| Leadership Transition: Success Story #2: | |
This Bio-tech CEO has several successful start-ups and turn-arounds in his leadership portfolio. He is a master at leading a company from product development to successful IPO. In his most recent CEO position, the company was about to bring its first product to the marketplace when he came on board. They needed help to "finish the race". We assessed the situation: Is this a Start-up, Turnaround, Realignment, or Sustaining Success situation? Each requires its own brand of executive leadership. We concluded his job was to sustain success. He decided to meet with all employees to (1) share his excitement about what they had already achieved and what more is possible and (2) look, listen, and learn. He built a plan and put his attention on external tasks and coaching his senior team. Although he was quite capable of "riding in on a white horse" and being a just-in-time hero (which crisis situations call for!), he understood that this organization was not in crisis and needed a steady leader who was more a coach and advisor than an instant hero. He is a very wise man! In the first year of his tenure, the company successfully introduced its first product and soon thereafter went public. |
| Featured Service & Call To Action - Call me! | |
Leadership Transition
There is no better time to learn and to change than during a leadership transition. This is a special moment in which to move oneself and one's organization in new directions. With a well-designed strategy and specific tailored tactics, the promise of this moment can be realized. If you're looking for a strategic thought partner who can also support specific implementation, call me. I've helped many leaders navigate this territory successfully.
"As I've built my executive leadership career, Pat has been a very valuable thought partner for me. She cares about my success and helps me think through tricky situations and challenges. She helps me identify strategic levers and also works with me to identify specific things I can do to manage the transition for myself and my organization. Recently, as I made the move from executive to senior executive, Pat worked with me to build and implement a 90 Day plan. With a smart and solid plan in hand, the transition was quicker and more successful than it would have been without Pat's wise counsel and a strong implementable plan."
-Senior Healthcare Executive |
| Suggested Reading | |
The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins (Harvard Business School Press)
-This is a "must read" for new and experienced leaders in new leadership positions. It focuses both on strategies and specific tactics for succeeding in a new leadership role.
You're in Charge - Now What? by Gerald Czarnecki (Griffin Publishing Group)
-A primer for the first-time leader, this is a how-to book on leadership.
You're in Charge - Now What? - The Eight-Point Plan by Thomas Neff and James Citrin (Random House)
-A planning guide for executive leaders moving into new leadership positions |
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Please let me know if I can answer any questions you may have. I welcome feedback on my newsletter.
Sincerely
Pat
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pat newmann