| “The beginning is the most important part of the work.”
–Plato, Greek Author and Philosopher, (427 BC to 347 BC) |
Role transitions are critical
times for employees and for organizations. Regardless of the situation into
which new staff members arrive, they are faced with the additional challenges
and time pressures of quickly learning how to do their new jobs. Collecting and
absorbing information about a new job takes time. And the forming of new
relationships is often challenging and critical to success. An effective Coach
Manager can speed and ease this process.
The
First 90 Days, by Michael Watkins, is an excellent book
specifically about the increasingly frequent challenge of job changes and how
to navigate them to ensure success. Although the book is written for anyone taking
up a new leadership role, the advice in the book is also relevant for the
supervisors of any new employees, particularly those new staff who have a
leadership role. This article explains some of the key strategies in this book
as they relate to the Coach Manager's role.
Take the Time You
Need
Be sure to set aside some time to
spend with your new people. Times of transition are often action-packed as many
organizations find themselves short-staffed such that everyone is over-worked
by the time the new staff member arrives. So it is tempting to let them work in
a flurry with the rest of you, rather than stopping to tell them what is going
on.
By nature we humans like to be in action even
if it is the wrong action. We say to ourselves “Don't just sit
there, do something!” The more stress we are under, the more
likely we are to do that. So instead you can remind yourself to
“Don't just do something, sit
there!“
It's much more
efficient to spend some one-on-one focused time with your new staff early on
rather than have to fix misunderstandings, poor habits or mishandled
relationships later on.
Focus on Creating Strong Relationships
Inducting your new staff is much more than just telling them what to
do. It is the beginning of a trusting, collaborative relationship where you
will be guiding and supporting this person to reach organizational goals in
alignment with his or her personal strengths and aspirations. Consider it the
beginning of the best manager-employee relationship you have ever
had.
You can build all aspects of this
relationship through the following five conversations.
Tell Them What They Need to Know
Your new employees need a lot of specific information in order to
understand how to do their jobs well. What follows is a checklist of the types
of conversations that are needed in the first few days and weeks. Initially you
will be the one talking most in these conversations as you have a lot to tell
them. But make sure you also listen to their responses and check their
understanding.
- Diagnose the
situationIn addition to providing all the
background information about the new employee's job, give him or her an
analysis of the type of situation he or she is facing. The current situation
may fall into one of 4 categories as follows:Start-up
-Systems and structures must be created from scratch.Turnaround -Rapid and decisive action is required
to pull out of a critical situationRealignment
- An established system needs to be adjusted through building on strengths and
tearing down what is no longer working.Sustaining
Success -A well-established system must be maintained while finding
ways to take the business to the next level. - Clarify your
expectations
Be as
specific as you can in relating your expectations to your new team member. Your
expectations will include the outcomes that you want to see as well as any
expectations you have about the way the work is to be done. While being clear
about your process expectations, you can also be open to negotiate in order to
allow your new employee to be successful in using his or her own strengths and
style.Take the opportunity to elicit the new
employee's expectations to ensure you are in alignment.
- Discuss
your working style
Your style includes things like the format, frequency and level of
detail of your communications, your working hours, your moods, your hot buttons
and your preferences for their communications with you. Elicit their
preferences as well so you know what to expect from them and how to get the
best from them.
Understand
Their Needs and Negotiate Support
As the
new team member gets familiar with you and the work requirements, you can both
benefit from some deeper conversations to understand his or her unfolding plans
and future needs.
- Agree
on what resources and support will be provided
- Discuss your new employee's budgets, manpower and level of
authority, and be ready to negotiate. - You may
choose to offer your support for brainstorming and sharing experience while
leaving the new leader with the final decisions on issues within his or her
control. Be open to understanding what kind of support would most help this
person. This is how a true coach works. - Finally,
you may be asked to provide protection, advocacy or other kinds of political
support for ideas and decisions.
By agreeing on all these issues, you form a strong alliance with your new
staff.
- Plan
for personal development
In the long run, your new staff members will not
remain motivated unless you understand and provide for their development needs.
Discuss these plans early in your relationships to leverage on their strengths,
weaknesses and ambitions.
Conclusion
If you take the time to properly induct your new staff members, you can
quickly build trusting and collaborative relationships which are the catalysts
for success in business. Focus on building the relationship through five
conversations covering both immediate and longer term needs.
