For a smooth transition into a new role
PREPARING FOR SUCCESS & DEVELOPING YOUR LEARNING PLAN
I wanted to go too fast and didn’t take the time to sit back and think about the transition into my new role in a strategic and structured way.
I would advise any new executive to take the time to listen and observe, even when faced with many internal and external pressures!
I didn’t ask myself the right questions about my strengths and weaknesses as a leader in the specific context of my new role. I should have leaned on a trustworthy and neutral partner for support.
- What strengths have you demonstrated in the past that will be useful in transitioning to this new role?
- Where might you fall short or encounter problems (risk areas)?
- What are your priorities when it comes to learning and personal change?
- What are your preferred learning methods?
- What time frame do you have in mind and how will you measure your success?
This is about drawing on good self-knowledge to prepare a suitable integration plan. This step involves establishing and implementing a learning plan that takes into account your strengths, shortcomings, certainties and fears.
DECODING THE ENVIRONMENT AND ITS CHALLENGES
Identifying where the real resistance to change stems from and any latent, unexpressed expectations is crucial!
Truly understanding the company culture and the way decisions are made was a real challenge!
- In what ways does the organisation’s context have an impact on expectations and the ability to meet these?
- How does the organisation share information, make decisions, execute decisions and monitor execution?
- What are the power games, political stakes and alliances?
- What is truly expected from the role?
The goal here is to understand the environment in which you will be working: the work culture, the decision-making processes, the explicit and implicit expectations, and to adjust your approach based on the business context.
BUILDING CREDIBILITY
What helped me the most was to quickly build my network by listening a lot and by reflecting a consistent image of the leader I wanted to embody.
I was able to assert my leadership quickly by taking actions that had an immediate impact and by making a few symbolic gestures.
I tried to take actions that emphasized the values on which I wanted my leadership to be based: courage, energy, accessibility and justice.
- What are some victories that could be easy, symbolic or have a real impact?
- Who are the key players, or in other words which individuals and groups are important to the success of your role in the short term and to your future development within the organization?
- How would you develop a trusting relationship with all of these players?
- What actions should you take to build personal credibility?
This is about creating a climate of trust and collaboration with all stakeholders and groups which are key to your success in your new role and have some influence on your career evolution..
CREATING A VISION AND ALIGNING THE TEAMS
I had to dampen my urge to replace my entire team by finding balance between my desire for radical change and the organisation’s ability to handle/cope with such a transformation.
Building genuine trust with my team around a shared vision was my biggest challenge!
- How can you elaborate a personal vision that is ambitious and engaging yet adapted to the capabilities of the organisation and teams?
- What behavioural norms and what performance expectations should you put in place?
- How will you identify and handle resistance?
- What is a realistic time frame for the transformations to be implemented?
This step is about defining your vision based on the expectations of the organisation, your own convictions and the teams’ capabilities. It’s about setting up and guiding your teams in order to strive for that aspiration.
