Onboarding Leaders

Will onboarding a leader require a different/additional/modified focus compared to onboarding any other employee?

I don’t think so. If onboarding were to be defined both as onboarding (into role) and induction (into company), then these will be required to be focused on for any new employee including a new leader.

But HR might need to play a more involved role in onboarding leaders.

In case of IC employees or managers, there are enough systems and informal feedback mechanisms in place for employee to understand how s/he is inducting into company. HR will check in on health of induction – but it is mostly periodic check ins.

In case of leaders, feedback may not come in diluted from below hierarchy. Secondly there may not be many role models leader can refer to – leadership positions may be lonely positions J. So leader does need a frame of comparison (with other successful leaders –present/previous) and a way of getting feedback (in a non –threatening space).

These 2 are specific ways in which HR can play a required more involved role in onboarding leaders.

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Sourav

The Challenger!

I remember seeing a rivetting long distance race during my school days.

Vipin led the race going into last lap. Arnab had been intentionally trailing behind him for most part of the race. Vipin could not run at his own pace as he was not sure when Arnab would overtake him. Arnab could choose his pace depending on what Vipin did.  When last lap started, Vipin looked a bit nervous and edgy. Arnab looked confident and composed. Finally Arnab won the race.

Sometimes, been second in the race is advantageous. It gives you headway to choose your pace and time your actions to beat the competition.

But will this challenger mindset always lead to success - especially in an organizational context?

The above mindset anchors challenger to competition. I think while one needs to keep an eye on competition, efforts primarily need to be anchored around consumer. If that’s done, then even when challenger becomes market leader – it can be more surefooted about how its actions translate to organization success.

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Sourav

Note: I have changed both names in this post to protect identity of individuals J

Customer Centricity

Every organization talks of need to be customer centric.

How do employees who are not in customer interfacing roles understand necessary call for action from them?  Here are some options:

·         You can obviously have leaders state asks from different teams. But this may not lead to inspiration/motivation as you are just following asks and not necessarily seeing link between ‘asks’ and final impact for ‘customer’.

·         You educate employees on how different customer/marketing related terms/concepts relate to product/service, e.g. – how 4Ps of marketing relate to your product/service, what drives repurchase decisions of your products/services.

·         Sharing customer stories from different context/scenarios - how is your product/service actually getting used in different customer scenarios?  

I find second and third option more powerful. It increases chances of ‘meaning making’ by employees – figuring out for themselves how their work could contribute to enhanced customer experience.  Since we find our own meaning - our commitment to actions will usually be higher too.

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Sourav

Change, Change, Change

Last year, at start of winter, I was at Great Wall of China. I was prepared for chilly cold but then strong icy winds took me by surprise. I was in for a rude shock when I tried making my way through a small tunnel gate and realized that wind behind me was making me run.  On my way back, I knew I will have wind against me and will have to make quite an effort to get on other side of tunnel gate. I took some time to gather my breath and then ran through tunnel gate with wind hurtling against me. But I managed to make it to other side. I went to the nearest shop, with watery eyes and stone cold hands, and ordered a HOT CHOCOLATE (those who know me will know that I never usually have HOT CHOCOLATE). But I did that day, because I needed body heat.

So what’s the point? Why am I recounting this instance?

When you come across a changed situation, you need to be able to keep your composure, gauge what’s different, plan your reaction, and react. Sometimes you need to do things that you usually will not do.

But calmness and composure are essential to maintain through change. If I had lost these two on that day, it might have taken me much more effort and consequences could have been much more difficult to undo.

Maintain calm and composure through change. It might actually help in being responsive, adaptive, and decisive.  That’s my point!

 

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Sourav

 

Networks

In organizations, networks are important!

But are they really important? What kind of different networks you might have? How do networks get built and expanded?

I have been doing a bit of work on networks over last few months and have been surprised at some of learnings:

1)      Be intentional about your network. Who do you need to reach out to and why?  Do you need information, a stretch opportunity, mentoring/guidance, advice, a career change, etc?  Be clear yourself and state need clearly.

2)      Think beyond your immediate reporting relationships. Matrix organizations provide you opportunity to leverage networks which are not necessarily hierarchy driven.

3)      Getting introductions/references are good launchpads for initial connects.

4)      Networks need acknowledgement. Someone will have spent his/her discretionary time on you. You must acknowledge and thank person for that!

5)      Keep your network active. Once you have established connect – even if there’s no immediate need – periodically touch-base with network and keep connections alive.

6)      Credibility is built over a period of time. But it is an important ingredient for ensuring your network works for you. Without credibility, an expanded network might provide you wrong visibility and might backfire.

7)      Networks can help you gain a different perspective on your stated objective – in ways that can be eye opening. It can be a good idea to dip into your network for gaining this alternative perspective on things.

I am slowly becoming more convinced of need to and benefits of intentionally growing and maintaining your network.

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Sourav

 

 

Transitions

We usually use terms induction and onboarding in context of new joiners to companies. But these terms do have relevance to even employees transitioning across roles.

What all might be important to look at when we consider employees transitioning across roles?

There needs to be a focus on:

·         Effective transitioning off from current role:

o   There needs to be a focus on effective hand over of responsibilities to new/stand-in incumbent.

o   Every team also needs to re-center itself when there is a change in team member.  

·         Effectively onboarding into new role:

o   There needs to be a focus on role readiness. This will be a combination of learnings required, contributions (early successes) that give a boost to confidence, and establishing networks required for role.

·         Effectively inducting into new team/org sub-cultures – need for team to re-center itself with new team member.

All of these steps can be facilitated through processes.

How is this different from onboarding and inducting a new joiner to company? It is different in sense that in second case one also needs to factor in ‘inducting into company’.

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Sourav

Managing Change

Change management involves initiating change, sustaining change through change process, and realizing results.

Formula for change ( D*V*F>R) provided a framework on how to initiate change process.

But what frameworks can you use for change process?

Organizational change itself gets complicated through interplay of a number of variables- a) time period during which change progresses can extend across months/years; b) you need to be able to transition while maintaining focus on short term results, and c) working through resistance and /or maintaining momentum/energy/motivation - as people are invariably a large part of change equation.

Framework I've used to sustain change through change process involves 4 key components:

1) Choose 3-4 key objectives and metrics (quantitative/qualitative)that have buy in of key decision makers.

Limit number to not  more than 3-4 to ensure that maximum attention is devoted to objectives and metrics that matter.

2) What are key behaviors that you want changed from key stakeholders? What will new behaviors look like (an outcome of a discussion on what success might look like)? Behaviors are observable and at end of day any 'below surface' change should get manifested in changes in behavior.

3) Hold leaders accountable for driving change. Have a team that program manages change. Institute RACI for different stakeholders.

An important part of the entire exercise is communication. Along with focusing on what and how, communications should also focus on why. Once people are onboard on why, resistance might lessen and progress in what and how becomes simpler.

4) Have an execution plan in place for a defined period (eg- 1 year). Check in at agreed times on progress against execution plan.

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Sourav