TMS Consulting
“Leadership transitions …. Are critical times when small differences in your actions can have disproportionate impact on results.”
Michael Watkins, The First 90 Days
Whether an unexpected or long planned transition, an effective on-boarding
process for a new leader will effectively accelerate the process of building relationships with his/her team and gaining critical insight and clarity around the business context of this new role.
Our approach to new leader intergration engages the entire team early and is focused on developing sustainable interpersonal and team capacity to work effectively within both the current context and the reality of ongoing uncertainty.
How the Process Emerges:
- Pre-work (interviews and/or questionnaires completed) by both the new leader and the team or work group. Question content focused on clarifying both the current work and the team dynamics.
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‘What do I/we need to know about you?’,
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‘What you need to know about us?’,
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‘What are our main work priorities right now?’, etc.
- Completion of a Team Management Profile Questionnaire by the new leader and the team or work group;
- Working with the new leader on an agenda/approach for a one day session with the group: the agenda includes a debrief of the Team Management Profile including the team map and focusing the debrief on both effective interpersonal relationships and current work context. Depending on the leader and team preference, the agenda may also include a formal presentation by the leader and or team, focused work on existing projects, etc.;
- Compilation by the facilitator of the major ‘themes’ or insights which emerged from the one day session:
- An optional 6-week half day follow-up meeting to review themes and team dynamics.
The pre-work questions: What do I/we need to know/ What you need to know about us..etc. Are surely integral in developing a relationship within any environment. However, I propose that in a Team (individual or unit) / Leader relationship the character of all parties, especially that of the leader play a critical role. The craft of leadership is often misunderstood, misrepresented, and misused.
My skills and preferences may be identified by specific profiles but what profile identifies and defines my character.
A single act by a leader or team member may carry enough weight to define the value and the success of the team as a whole in the immediate as well as in the long term.
Just a thought — thank you.