New Leader Assimilation: Why It Matters & How to Do It
We’ve all seen it before: the perfect candidate steps in to fill a c-suite position, yet still somehow things fall apart. Whether it’s over the course of a few weeks or many months, the mounting tension between leader and team simply becomes unbearable.
According to The Corporate Executive Board, 50% to 70% of executives fail within 18 months of taking on a role. Can you guess why? This high failure rate is in large part due to a lack of proper assimilation.
Change makes waves, and when those waves aren’t properly managed, they can cause lasting damage. It’s natural for a new leader to rock the boat, in fact that’s often the goal of hiring new leadership. But such change is often met with resistance, and therefore conflict.
Whether hired externally or promoted internally, a new leader has to adapt to the role just as much as their team has to adapt to the new leadership.
When hiring a new executive, it’s important to have a proper assimilation process in place. Whether hired externally or promoted internally, a new leader has to adapt to the role just as much as their team has to adapt to the new leadership. For external hires, there is a lot to learn about the company culture, SOPs, individual motivators, and so on. For internal promotions, the shift from coworker to boss can be tricky, with an added layer of complexity when other colleagues were competing for the job.
When it comes to leadership assimilation, there are a few key steps.
1. Breaking the ice
Humans are social creatures, and in most work environments, relationships are key to success. Taking time to properly introduce each team member to their new leader is a must. Building genuine connections is an effective leadership tactic that will help everyone to feel seen and heard by the new boss. Breaking the ice can easily feel forced and corny, so try a different approach through 1:1 coffee breaks/lunches, happy hour for the whole team, or small group sessions.
2. Familiarizing with ‘how things are’
In order to be an effective leader, the new executive will need to have an in-depth understanding of how things are, and why. By studying the daily dynamics of the workplace, areas of strength and weakness can be pinpointed and strategically acted upon. Rather than jumping right in, the new boss should have some time designated to take a long hard look at how people work together, what processes they have in place, what the potential sources of tension are, how engaged people are, what each individual’s history is (both with and prior to the company), and so on.
3. Setting up a clear line of communication
As with most areas of life, communication is key to the success of any organization. A new leader that comes in and does not make it clear that communication is a priority might mislead people to believe that their opinions should not be voiced, their feedback is insignificant, and they're essentially just a cog in the machine. Employees should be encouraged to come forward with ideas, complaints, feedback, goals, problems, and whatever else is on their mind. Not only does this make employees feel like their voice is valued, but it also provides the opportunity for leadership to catch issues early and jump on creative ideas.
4. Establishing expectations
Having a new leader means new expectations. If this is not spelled out from the beginning (meaning after the leader has had time to scope out the situation and plan a path forward) it will cause big trouble. Having unclear expectations is the fastest way for both leader and team members alike to fail at their respective responsibilities. The new boss should take what they’ve learned about the team into consideration and lay out clear and realistic expectations. They should also establish where flexibility is sanctioned and how employees can handle unique situations where unexpected nuances might arise. In order to ensure a collaborative and supportive work environment, the leader should also give employees an opportunity to (anonymously) voice the expectations that they’d like their new manager to adhere to.
5. Defining a game plan
Every strong organization has a plan of action. In addition to setting expectations, leaders should be upfront with their goals, conflict resolution protocols, talent development initiatives, and general change plan. If big changes are to be made, employees should be looped in from the beginning and given logical reasoning as to why such shifts are taking place. Change doesn’t happen overnight, so leadership should be patient while still assertive in executing their plan of action.
Onboarding a new executive is both exciting and anxiety-inducing. No matter how confident you are in the individual's abilities, there is always a risk factor of how well they will integrate. That risk can be minimized with a simple yet strategic new leader assimilation plan. After investing in your new hire, it’s worth taking the time to set them up for success.