Someone said: At first they will ask Why you’re doing it. Later they’ll ask HOW you did it.
A study by Leadership IQ[1], a global leadership training and research company, shows that half of management hires fail within the first 18 months as a result of people failing to establish the strategic priorities, committing cultural gaffes or not making an impact quickly enough.
A new poll conducted by Monster asked participants what would help them excel on day one of a new job.
Sixty-four percent of respondents said understanding the expectations of their new role; 27% said learning more about the company/organization and other departments they’d be working with; 6% said getting to know their team; and slightly less than 1% said finding friends and allies.
Don’t rely on your new employer to get you up to speed. Take some action and set the pace for your success in your new leadership role.
So here are a few suggestions:
- Gain clarity on what success means in your new role. Iow. how is it defined, how is it measured and how will you know when you have reached success by the organisational standards and by your boss’s perception and by your own standards? If you don’t know coming out of the starting gates, you will be chasing the wind trying to impress.
- Know your boss. Take the time to learn and discover what makes him or her tick. This helps you work with them from an early stage and to make a good impression.
- Get to know your team. The 6% in the poll is not a good factor. Your team can make or break you. I watched a director come into a role with a team and saw him fail from day one. He didn’t get to know the team or the culture of the team, but instead tried to immediately impose his own culture on the team. He lasted only 3 months in the role.
- The next point picks up here. Fit in with the culture. What are the organizational values and how are they expressed? Culture is to say: This is how we do things around here! The directorI spoke about in the previous point, thought he could just walk in and everyone must adhere to his values, because they were successful in the last place he worked. But he did not take time to discover what the values were in the new company, and who sets the pace for them, and how they are to be expressed.
- Be patient. Take your time to discover where the pitfalls are, what is working and not working before you introduce changes.
- At all costs, watch for the sacred cows. Every place has them. These are your political landmines that can bench you before you even get very far down the line. It is a fact that today, leaders must have IP - political intelligence. So do not touch the ‘sacred cows’ in your first 90 days.
- If you have taken up a role in a different country. This can have bigger ramifications if it doesn’t work out. Having lived and worked in a few countries, I have discovered how important it is to get clarity on expectations, role, vision, values and cultural aspects of the organization and the country you are moving to - especially if it's with your whole family.
So it’s essential to create your own development plan to succeed. Don’t wait for someone else to plan it. You may not like or agree with their plan for you.
Then create a plan of action for your success.
Remember: Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out!
Because I have worked and lived on different continents, within different cultures, and organizations, I have an experienced understanding of what is involved in working in a new role and adapting to the environment.
Message me, if you would like to discuss a proven processes i have to help you gain clarity, and map out a development and action plan to succeed.
