Transitioning New Leaders in the 21st Century

I recently came across an excellent article on the Deloitte Consulting website entitled, "Human Capital Trends for 2013."  Its authors were Deloitte consultants, Bill Pelster and Geoffrey Helt.  Within that article is a section called, "Debunking the Superman Myth" in which the authors assert that organizations still committed to "...trying to identify and clone the mythical perfect leader..." need to face the facts that the world is simply moving too fast for organizations to think they can continue to train leaders to fit a standardized corporate leadership profile.  They suggest that what is driving this need is: Jagged Markets, Perpetual Uncertainty and Instant Obsolescence.  Moreover, yesterday's leadership theories struggle to keep pace with the velocity of today's disruptive marketplace. They conclude that "...many companies continue to pursue a singular vision of the ideal leadership style..." but that "...the humbling truth is that tomorrow's leaders should be able to thrive across multiple complex environments..."

Years ago I saw a chart that talked about the styles of leadership needed for each of the growth stages of an organization: Form, Storm, Norm and Perform.  It made perfect sense to me (and still does). Anyone with diverse leadership experience in the marketplace knows that a start-up company's leader exhibits far different traits than does a leader running an organization in the "norm and perform" stages.

As a veteran executive recruiter, I have seen this situation played out many times.  I have often been asked to recruit a special leader that is right for the circumstances of an organization at a particular time.  For example, if an organization has been operating on cruise control for several years and the market just unhinged them, what my clients have asked me to recruit is a leader with relevant, successful experience turning around or even re-inventing organizations. There is a very high likelihood that such a leader is not the right fit for an organization that is on cruise control. This is one reason why so many organizations decline.  Long after the entrepreneur who created the organization has moved on (often due to an inability or unwillingness to lead an organization that has reached the "Norm" stage), the leadership team evolved into a group of maintainers who are good at making steady, incremental improvements through sound management practices rather than making radical changes that require entirely new ways of thinking.  I have both worked for, and recruited for organizations whose leaders fitting that maintenance description are simply incapable of taking their companies through a reinvention process. .

What I have learned is that it is folly to think that leadership development programs can prepare leaders to function in the volatile market environments of today.  One company the authors cite has managed to categorize its leaders based on their innate talents within specific organizational situations.  Their talent managers and succession planners then plot careers for them where their talents can best be utilized (and where they will be happiest) rather than trying to make them all things to all people.

There will continue to be a need for organizations to recruit new leaders from the outside.  So long as they are committed to supporting new leaders brought in to deal with drastic change, this is often a better approach than trying to grow such talent from within (This assumes of course, that leaders without the necessary attributes do not currently reside within the organization's management ranks.).

New Leader Attrition

One hard fact that is being discussed a lot these days is the staggering attrition rates of new leaders hired from the outside.  The number most tossed about is 40%.  And most of these leaders who ultimately fail do so within two years.  One prominent consultant told me that 18 months is a good target.  If a new leader has managed to succeed for that length of time, there is a high likelihood that success will last longer.  The key lesson that many studies are communicating is that what happens within the first 90 days of a new leader's tenure will often determine if they are still around in two years.  Yet, the vast majority of organizations do nothing to structure an integration period for their new leaders.  This can be an expensive mistake.

This is a situation that has got to change.  If new leaders are brought in to do more than maintain an organization, there is an even higher likelihood that failure will occur.  Change agents are in a risky position. So it is even more important that they be properly integrated into their new roles.

These studies determined that while internally promoted new leaders succeed at a higher rate than outside hires, the success differential is marginal.  The lesson is that internally promoted or transferred leaders also need to be formally integrated into their new roles, not just outside hires.

How does an organization do this?  They must commit to creating and implementing a structured new leader integration process that ALL new leaders (regardless of the level or the source of the candidate) go through. It is best that this process begin in advance of the start date (i.e.. "pre-boarding" versus "on-boarding") and continue through the first 90 days a new leader is on board--sometimes longer.

In addition to being the author of a "five star" rated book on this subject (Amazon), Before Onboarding:  How to Integrate New Leaders for Quick and Sustained Results, I have spent many months researching what a variety of organizations are doing to solve this problem.  In addition to the proven model that I lay out in my book, I have turned these numerous case studies into an on-site, two-day, hands-on workshop that I provide to HR management teams on a global basis.  After this workshop, they will have seen and analyzed a dozen case studies and will be able to take from them the best parts that are applicable to their own organization's unique leader integration requirements. For more information on this workshop, contact me at mburroughs@segueconsultingllc.com or call 314-341-1139.

Executive Integration Network

I am pleased to announce that I have formed a new LinkedIn group called the Executive Integration Network.  The target members for this group are HR, talent management, talent acquisition and organization development executives and consultants who are seeking a forum in which to exchange ideas and best practices for integrating newly recruited or promoted leaders into organizations.

This new group is already up on LinkedIn.  I will be better organizing this group in the days ahead.  Should you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at mike@michaelkburroughs.com.  Look for future posts on this topic.

A Worthy On-Line Job Search Resource

We have surely come a long way in the realm of advice to job seekers.  I wish I had access to the myriad of tools currently available when I was in a job transition back in 1988.  I was fortunate to be provided a comprehensive outplacement program with a major firm.  That was the good news.  The bad news was that I had nine weeks of severance pay...well, not actually...I had five weeks of severance, two weeks notice and two weeks of vacation to cash in.  That abundance of cash came at a good time.  I only had two in college, a new mortgage and two car payments.

I recall being interviewed by the firm's psychologist, an individual who has remained a good friend for over two decades.  He had a series of assessments for me to do, some of which I had taken in a previous career.  I thanked him for his concern and efforts and then said I didn't have time for all of that because I had nine weeks to find a job.  He laughed.  I didn't.  But I can say this for the situation I was in:  I did not lack focus.

The facilities were decent and there was a library (yes...a library) of reference material.  There were several copies of leading newspapers available to us, as well.  We each had a cubicle with a phone. That was it.  Laptops with wireless communications networks were unheard of then.  We had yellow legal pads on which to write our resumes and cover letters.  We handed these drafts to one of two perpetually stressed out administrative folks whose job it was to do the impossible, fast.  There were many executives in need of letters and resumes.  We were not accustomed to having to wait for things.

There is a happy ending.  I had a job within nine weeks.  Someday I will write a book about it (not).

So now we are in 2011 and once again, there is an abundance of executives in transition.  I feel for these people, but there is one significant difference between their situation and mine back in 1988--technology, and lots of it.  The Internet and social networking in general are godsends to executives who know how to find the right resources and use them (and trust them).  I am always on the lookout for good resources to share.

My latest find is a website at http://jobsearch.about.com .  It ranks up there with the very best career transition advice sites.  They cover a wide array of job search tips and the quality of their advice is pretty good.  I judge everything of this nature on how much I would have benefited from it in 1988.  This would have been a jewel of a resource to me back then and it is today. If you're in a career transition, check it out.

Wasted Interview Questions: The Hypothetical 90-Day Action Plan

There is an abundance of advice for executive job seekers these days that is driven in part by the large numbers of people in the hunt for new positions.  The value of this advice is in the eye of the beholder.  As one of those "beholders," and a veteran executive recruiter, I have some insights and opinions as to what works and does not work for me in interview situations.  One technique being touted lately involves urging candidates to come to the interview with a "90-day plan" that would be implemented if they were to be hired. Proponents of this approach acknowledge that a candidate has to stretch a bit due to a lack of information. Yet, somehow, this is deemed appropriate. I place this question in the same vein as the ubiquitous "Tell me about yourself."

There is another school of thought in the art of interviewing that goes by such names as behavior-based interviewing, targeted selection, etc.  This school of thought is based on the premise that one's past behavior and actions are the best indicators of future behaviors and actions.  One cardinal rule in this approach is that the interviewer is never to ask a candidate what he or she would do in a given situation.  Those types of answers can be rehearsed in such a way as to give the "school solution" to the question.

There are several ways to ask a behavior based question.  The scenario goes something like this:  "Tell me about a time when you were faced with ___circumstances requiring you to act.  What was the situation?  What did you do to solve the problem?  What was the outcome?  (And my favorite and most enlightening addition...) What did you learn from the experience?   It is easy to see that the trendy prospective, ill-informed 90-day action plan question can be turned instead to a request to hear about a past example of what a candidate did in the first 90 days with a previous employer.(and follow the above flow of  follow-on questions). Interviewers will learn much more about the viability of the candidates being interviewed if they take this historical approach.

I learned early in my career as an executive recruiter that a powerful tool to give to my client is a questionnaire that the candidate completes on-line that addresses several required competencies and experiences.  Most questions are asked from this historical perspective.  My clients' testimonials attest to the value of this questionnaire. Whether asked these questions in person, via a questionnaire, or both, there is much value to be gained from this historical, experiential approach.

If you are unfortunate to be asked  this "What would you do in the first 90 days?" question in a future interview, turn the question around and instead share what you have done in the past to ensure that you made the most out of your first three months in a previous job.  Use the flow outlined above and also share what you learned from the experience.

That said, there are ways you can give thought to your first 90 days that are prospective versus retrospective.  In my new book, Before Onboarding:  How to Integrate New Leaders for Quick and Sustained Results, I provide a framework for action in the first 90 days.  There are other books that are more self-directed.  Two that come to mind are The First 90 Days, by Michael Watkins, and The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan, by Bradt, Check and Pedraza.  None of these three books suggests the appropriateness of a hypothetical action plan.  Be prepared to tell what you have done versus what you would do.  Smart employers will appreciate self-reflective responses and be able to project your past into a future that could involve them.  Executive recruiters will too.

Global Reach for Leading Edge Memo's

Since launching Leading Edge Memo's in January, 2011, readers from all over the world have accessed this blog.  I encourage my readers to send me comments or specific questions you would like for me to address on this blog.  I will take your career-oriented questions and convert them to blog entries (anonymous) so that others can benefit from both your questions and my responses.

As of January 20, 2012, Leading Edge Memos' readers have come from these countries:

Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bangladesh
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Canada
Chile
China
Costa Rica
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Egypt
Estonia
Ethiopia
France
Gambia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Kenya
Latvia
Lesotho
Malaysia
Maldives
Monaco
Moldova
Netherlands
New Zealand
Panama
Philippines
Romania
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Venezuela
Vietnam

Thank you for your growing support and I look forward to hearing from you in the future.

Recent Stats on the Best Job Search Strategy

As I give presentations to groups of executives in the midst if career transitions, many believe that their best path to a new job is through gaining the good graces of a recruiter.  Even those who are actively participating in outplacement programs often believe that their first strategy should be via executive search firms. I routinely counsel them away from this often preferred path through discussions of how recruiters work and what the statistics show.

A recent study by Right Management, perhaps the largest outplacement firm in business, supports the advice I give.  During 2010 they kept track of the almost 60,000 of their clients who found new jobs.  Once again the studies clearly show that getting that next job will more often occur through networking.  The exact statistics were as follows:

Networking:                  41%
Internet Job Boards:      25%
Search Firms:                11%
Direct Approach:            8%
Online Network:             4%
Advertisements:              2%
Other:                           10%

According to Carly McVey, Right Management's VP of Career Management, "...technology plays a role. But online social networking may not always be separate from traditional networking since one often leads to the other  A job seeker uses the Internet to track down former associates or acquaintances and then reaches out to them in person." She went on to say that "...successful candidates use a mix of approaches..."  The direct approach (i.e., cold calling) still plays a role in a successful job search strategy, and on-line job boards are also gaining ground.

While executive recruiters should be a part of your job search strategy, the numbers continue to support that networking, in its various forms, and reaching out directly to potential employers carries the day (49% combined).  As the folks at Right Management say, "People still land most jobs person to person."

Before Onboarding: How to Integrate New Leaders for Quick and Sustained Results

My new book, Before Onboarding: How to Integrate New Leaders to Quick and Sustained Results, was recently published.  It is available on Amazon (with a growing body of reviews) and can now be ordered directly from the publisher via this link:  https://www.createspace.com/3578473.  Contact me at mburroughs@dhrinternational.com if you are interested in an organizational discount code for bulk purchases from the publisher (e.g., companies, graduate schools, governmental agencies, healthcare organizations, etc.).

The book provides a detailed template for how organizations can ensure new leaders at all levels arrive fully prepared to achieve early wins; avoid costly, preventable mistakes; and sustain their early successes over the long term.  The process is as applicable to outside hires as it is to internal promotions.

Attrition rates for new senior leaders are high.  Studies range from 30 to 50%.  Many are gone within two years.  What occurs in the first 90 days often determines the ultimate success or failure of new leaders. The emphasis in organizations is on selection and hiring new leaders, but little is done to ensure their new investment is successful either in the short or long term.  That is most often left to hope and chance.  There are solutions to this problem.  This book is one of them and is a proven practice. "Before Onboarding" helps organizations ensure the right things are accomplished in the right order during those first three months, and also compresses the time it takes for new leaders to return value to their organizations. New leaders arrive with a "Blueprint for Success" in hand that was developed through a series of interviews with key stakeholders by a process consultant.  It begins when an offer is accepted and culminates 90 days after the start date with a series of follow-up conversations involving the hiring manager, the new leader and the consultant.

It's a short book--120 pages, and is a succinct, informative read.  See the reviews at Amazon.com.