by Keith Hadley
New Leader Assimilation
We fully expect new leaders to succeed. Their credentials, history and personality all speak to their potential and our optimism. We find that the key to their early success lies in our ability to assimilate them into the executive team, align around strategy and rally to support them. Here are five overlooked areas to explore to build team trust and cohesion.
Creating Clarity and Alignment on the Six Critical Questions from Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Advantage:
- Our DNA – Why we exist and how we behave? (Core Purpose and Core Values)
- Our Strategy – What we do and how will we succeed? (Business Definition and Strategic Anchors)
- Our Focus – What’s most important, right now? (Rally Cry)
- Our Roles – How each of us contributes and aligns to the Thematic Goal (Who must do what?)
Initial Impact and Focus:
- What should he/she focus on first? Why this, why first?
- What hidden challenges or opportunities may not be obvious to the new leader?
- Make a simple “First 100 Days” document identifying expected activities, milestones and check-ins.
Building Team Cohesion:
- Share the team’s journey and what behaviors it is still working on:
- Building Trust | Being vulnerable
- Mastering Conflict | Demand debate
- Achieving Commitment | Force clarity and closure
- Embracing Accountability | Confront difficult issues, peer-to-peer
- Focusing on Results | Collective outcomes
- Talk about your team norms (for conflict, decisions, accountability and meetings)
Shortcut to Trust:
- Share personal histories (eg., where did I grow up; # of siblings; unique childhood challenge).
- Working Styles or Preferences (eg., MBTI, Working Genius); Discuss individual types and the implications of new team type, potential challenges and opportunities.
- Quickly discuss answers to these prompts: Thinking of my personality preferences…
- What I bring to the team is:
- I may irritate team members by:
- I may be irritated by team members who:
- Behaviorally, here’s where I could use some help:
- Feedback & Conflict:
- Conflict: What’s my comfort with disagreement and debate?
- Feedback: How do I like to give and receive feedback?
- When I am upset, how does this show up?
Practical Advice into Team and Culture
- What are some little things that make a big difference around here?
- What might surprise the new team member most as he/she gets to know us/this company?
- Tips for giving and receiving feedback and disagreeing with the leader and team?
- Talk frankly about the culture differences the new leader might be bringing from his/her prior organization. What can he/she teach us? What would be good to leave behind?
New Leader Assimilation | Session Agenda
Outcomes:
- Accelerate new leaders’ connection and alignment with the team
- Equip new leader to represent the organization and exec team with those they lead and/or impact
- Secondary benefit is to affirm and update team clarity and alignment
Time: 2-4 hours depending on team size
Pre-Work: Consider these resources to introduce Organizational Health
- Read or listen to the book The Advantage, by Patrick Lencioni
- Episode 18. How Dysfunctional Is Your Team? (46-min)
- Episode 12. One Question Every Company Must Answer (40-min)
- Episode 14. The Limits of Diversity – Creating a Real Company Culture (36-min)
- Episode 19. Making Strategy Simple (38-min)
- Episode 21. What’s Your Rallying Cry (32-min)
Prior to the session:
Schedule one-on-one informal conversations for the new leader and each of their peers (even if they met during the interview process.)
- Exchange backgrounds and stories
- Talk about how their functions and interdependencies
- Exchange initial impressions of the challenges and opportunities
Team Session:
Set aside 3 hours to walk through these four areas as a team. The benefit will not be for the new leader alone. At best, these discussions may lead to critical resets or at least, helpful affirmation of behavioral norms, leadership expectations and organizational strategy, priorities and roles.
| Creating Clarity and Alignment on the Six Critical Questions: | 30-45 mins |
| Align on Initial Impact & Focus | 30-mins |
| Build Team Cohesion | 30-60 mins |
| Shortcut to Trust | 60-mins |