Someone I know well - a friend and client - recently got hired to run a television network (his third). He'll do a great job, and I'm looking forward to supporting his success. Over the past couple of years, I've had the chance to work with a number of executives in the same situation: folks who are brought in to run an existing business, with an eye toward improving or, in some cases, radically overhauling it.
Transition is tough. People are spooked by change in general, and having a new person come in to run a business is fraught with scary possibilities (for both the employees and the new leader). Being successful as the new boss - especially when you're brought in to make changes in the business - is an art, and I've seen some people do it very well, and some very badly. The folks who don't succeed in this tricky situation tend to fail as a result of some pretty simple and predictable mistakes. Based on my observation and experience, here are the key things to avoid:
Talk more than you listen. This is by far the most common - and most destructive - practice of new bosses. In the name of "sharing their vision," "inspiring the troops," or "setting the tone," way too many new bosses come in and start talking...and they don't seem to stop. Every meeting consists of them holding forth, while everyone else just sits there. To be clear: it's not inspiring, no matter how articulate or energetic you may be. The message it sends to your new team is "I get to say what's what, and you don't." It confirms their worst fears, and they will mostly retreat into self-protectiveness - and start figuring out how to either 'manage' you or leave the company.
Listening is your very best, most accessible, and easiest first tool as the new boss. About 18 months ago, I had the chance to coach a newly minted (and very 'talky') GM as he started his new job. He took my advice about listening, and as a result was able to create a productive and collaborative team in record time. Listening is the best way I know to establish mutual respect and and openness, and to find out all the critical information you need - about the current state of the business, about your team members, and about the dynamics among them.
Demonize the past. A few weeks ago, I overheard a leader who had just arrived on the scene talking about all the mistakes and poor decisions made before she got there. I cringed. Remember, when you badmouth the previous regime, you're not just casting aspersions on someone who's no longer there (and to whom, by the way, the team may still feel loyal) - you're, in effect, telling the remaining team members that their work sucks and that they were dumb to go along with your predecessors' goofy, ill-conceived approach. They'll feel both dissed and fearful of being let go.
If that's not the impact you want to have, it will serve you best to be as diplomatic and neutral about the past as possible. Even if you ultimately find you have to change lots of things, focus on how you and the team can work together to make things even better, or to achieve new goals (vs. how you're going to fix everything that's bad). Look forward with hope.
Immediately bring in all your buddies. I know that new leaders almost invariably hire some people they've worked with in previous jobs. In moderation, this makes all the sense in the world: you know their skills, you know you can work well together. But firing key employees right away and replacing them with your old cronies is a bad idea. First of all, it doesn't give you the chance to find out enough about your existing team - there may be people already in place who are more skilled and productive, or who have more potential, or who are a much better fit for this organization than your buddies. Without working with (and listening to) them for at least a few months, you'll never know. In addition, this wholesale firing and hiring will send a powerful message: that no one already in place can gain your trust, or become an important member of your new team. Do you really want to send that message?
Do nothing. Please don't confuse listening well and getting to know people before you make personnel changes with being passive. Everyone (your team, your board or your boss, the rest of the employees) are watching closely during your first few months to see what kind of leader you will be. If you don't do anything more than walk around and ask questions, the board or your boss will start second-guessing their decision, and the rest of the organization's employees will start to write you off as ineffectual.
As you listen and observe, pick up on a couple of early changes you can make - things that clearly need improving, and that will be seen as positive by most of your constituents. Some policy that's burdensome and ineffective? Work with your team to change it quickly, and let everyone know you're doing so. Some manager who is hated and feared by most or all? Work with HR to let him or her go - respectfully and efficiently. Cash hemorrhaging from some ill-conceived venture? Stop the bleeding post-haste. People will take these actions as signs of things to come, and will start to feel confident in your leadership.
If you can avoid these major pitfalls during your first few months in the new job, you'll have begun to establish yourself as the kind of leader people are looking for - both collaborative and decisive. You'll be building a foundation for working with your team to do great things.
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Check out Erika Andersen’s latest book, Leading So People Will Follow, and discover how to be a followable leader. Booklist called it “a book to read more than once and to consult many times.”
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