For me, it happened in 2012. Up to that point in my career, my roles had always been in supply chain or production leadership in the manufacturing industry. While I loved my career, the pace, and the incredible learnings along the way, I had reached the point of my career where I recognized I was ready to make a shift out of supply chain and take on a new challenge.
I had been brainstorming about where my gifts and talents could make the most impact, and knew that whatever area I transitioned to, would need to heavily focus on collaborating with people and breaking down barriers between cross-functional teams and their competing priorities.
A new manager had recently transitioned into our department, and that day our entire team was scheduled to be in an all-day session with a facilitator. I didn’t know what to expect for the day but went into the experience with an open mind. I had no idea how big of an impact this day would have on determining my career from that point forward. We spent the first half of the day focusing on a New Leader Assimilation with our new manager, and the second half of the day was dedicated to learning about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) results for us as individuals and as a team.
My excitement increased by the hour as we dug into discussions on what we needed from our new manager to help us be most successful as employees, had interactive discussions where we learned about our new leader’s preferences and pet peeves, and then participated in dynamic exercises to learn about our team members’ temperaments. I had already been exposed to the MBTI over 10 years earlier and thought the tool was incredibly powerful; however, I had never experienced it with a team of people where we could all learn about each other and why we approached our work in the way we did. I was also struck by the amount of psychological safety in the room and how deeply we were able to engage in discussions with our new leader without fear of repercussions.
The day was incredibly fun and insightful for me. That was the moment I knew I wanted to spend the remainder of my career in the Organizational Development field. I kept thinking about how I wanted to be the Facilitator leading teams through these powerful exercises and watching all the “a-ha’s” in the room, as a piece of understanding clicked into place about a team member who had always been a bit of a mystery to understand.
I had always had a passion for personal development and coaching others to be the best version of themselves, so this felt like the perfect fit. Not only was the work enlightening, but it was also powerful and made a significant impact on helping me communicate with my new manager more effectively from the very beginning of our relationship.
Has your organization had changes in your leadership team within the past 90 days?
If so, does your organization use the New Leader Assimilation process to help set your leaders up for success? If not, I would like to increase awareness of this powerful tool, and the benefits of bringing in an external facilitator to guide your team through this process.
Whether you hire from the outside or promote from within, the process costs the company both time and money. The more quickly and effectively your leader transitions into their new role, the less your organization will spend on getting your new hire up to speed.
The New Leader Assimilation is designed to introduce and integrate a leader into the culture and relationships of their new team. This process is most beneficial in the first 30 days of a leader starting in their new position; however, benefits can still be achieved if this process is completed within the first 90 days.
It is equally effective for internal managers taking over a new team or assignment, or with managers coming into the organization as external hires. This process is designed to provide a forum for a new manager and his/her team to develop an early understanding of respective operating styles, communication patterns and business priorities so they can quickly work together to effectively address critical business needs and issues.
Benefits of a New Leader Assimilation Program:
- New leaders are productive more quickly and are much more likely to achieve their goals
- The new leader understands each stakeholder’s individual needs, which fosters relationship building, trust, and strategy alignment
- Develops transparency in communications and rapid integration among the new team
- Provides clarity in expectations and requirements among team members
- Open discussion and understanding of the leader’s aspirations, objectives, and concerns
- Lays the foundation early on for open communications, work planning and problem-solving between the leader and their direct reports
If you recognize that your organization has had key people transitioning into new positions within the past 90 days (or are aware of this occurring in the near future), I would love to have a conversation with you to discuss how this assimilation process can save your company time and money and have a direct impact on increasing employee engagement.
To schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation, please contact me via phone or email.
Angela Bonner, Business Coach & Chief Talent Strategist
Angela.Bonner@Evolutiollc.com
(262) 225-3268
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