Do Your Executives REALLY Understand What Motivation Your Team Needs? Onboarding Advice for New Employees (The New Kid on the Block)
Many executives rise to levels of authority that exceed their knowledge and skill. That is the principle that Lawrence J. Peter so famously articulated. That one rises to their level of incompetence is to be expected. You do a good job in your current position and are promoted (& yes, new executives are the “New Kid on the Block” too) until you reach a position for which you are not competent. Then you fail and you, and everyone else, begin to wonder if you ever were as good as you seemed to be.
What to do about it? Assuming you have reached your level of incompetence, consider what skills you possess that are still useful in your current positions. Many will be. But some will be counter-productive. A recent example: a very successful college football coach takes on the head coaching position of a professional football team. There is no question that the individual has the necessary knowledge of and passion for the game, the experience shaping a team, motivating players, and has a winning attitude.
At first the new pro coach succeeds spectacularly. His enthusiasm alone is enough to rouse a similar passion in seasoned professional players, especially those mired in the middle where neither success nor failure can stimulate them. But something happens after the first round of success. The players begin to find the new coach’s rah-rah approach somehow demeaning to a professional. The usually unspoken complaint is, “Hey, I’m a professional. This is my business. I know what I can do and how to do it. Save your cheerleading for the rookies. It annoys me.”
Professionals like to believe they are above emotion. When things get tough they keep on punching; when things are great, they are not deluded into believing they are gods. They adhere to the advice Kipling gave and treat both victory and defeat as the imposters they are.
Coaching a young, naïve, unformed athlete, not matter how great the talent, is not the same as coaching a tested, battle hardened veteran. Recognition, reinforcement, and acknowledgement, while important at every level, are especially significant with professionals. The amateur still hears the coach shouting, still feels the kick in the behind, and still responds to emotion. Which means that the amateur also is less dependable than the professional, too likely to give up before the game is over or to celebrate too early. The professional is much more likely to keep their head in the game.
Whether the game is football or finance, love or money, the need to understand the motivations of the team you are expected to lead or be part of, is vital. Many people work simply to make enough money to support themselves, yet these people also find camaraderie, comfort, and meaning in their work. Others, more ambitious, work for power and glory. They too find a work environment that addresses their needs as social animals.
People will tell you from their behavior what they need from you. Your job is to listen and give it to them. A handshake or a kick in the butt, a trophy or a raise, respect and recognition in keeping with the individual’s sense of themselves.
Tips for Successfully Onboarding the New (Employee) Kid on the Block
- NEW KID ON THE BLOCK ONBOARDING ADVICE Tip #1 – PROCESS: The onboarding process should be an experience every new employee will appreciate, remember, and view as a positive experience. It is to the benefit of the employee and the corporation for HR to take time to come up with a detailed plan for each step on the onboarding process.
- NEW KID ON THE BLOCK ONBOARDING ADVICE Tip #2 – MULTI-MEDIA INTRODUCTION: Nothing kills the interest or enthusiasm of a new employee than being handed huge stacks of paperwork and worksheets the first day of hire. Using video, in person talks, classroom lectures, written presentations and online learning can help improve employee retention and make the onboarding process more engaging for your new team members.
- NEW KID ON THE BLOCK ONBOARDING ADVICE Tip #3 – FEEDBACK: You can never underestimate the value of employee feedback – even from a new employee on the first day. Even if your onboarding process is well structured, the opinion of the employee experiencing it is invaluable. Take time to gather and analysis feedback and continually improve the process.
- NEW KID ON THE BLOCK ONBOARDING ADVICE Tip #4 – REALISTIC JOB DESCRIPTION: Job descriptions and responsibilities that are not defined realistically during the onboarding process are a recipe for disaster (i.e., unhappy or disappointed employees leads to high turnover). Make sure your new team member knows what they are signing on for, what to expect from the position, and what they need to do to be successful in their new position.
- NEW KID ON THE BLOCK ONBOARDING ADVICE Tip #5 – PACE NEW EMPLOYEES: You should always consider new employee onboarding a marathon – not a sprint. Rushing new employees through the process can result in them missing out on valuable opportunities to bond as a new team member. You don’t want to force them to choose between mastering their job duties & accumulating to the corporate culture.
- NEW KID ON THE BLOCK ONBOARDING ADVICE Tip #6 – CULTURE: Every company has its own culture with unique language and jargon. Dropping new employees into the conversation without teaching them the “lingo” sets them up for failure. Make sure your new employee is educated on the corporate buzzwords, lingo, and acronyms. It is equally important to fill new hires in on any inside jokes, traditions, and other important bits of your company’s culture.
- NEW KID ON THE BLOCK ONBOARDING ADVICE Tip #7 – POSITIVE INTERACTION: The key to a new employee’s success is tied to their relationship & level of comfort with their immediate manager. Managers should be included in the onboarding process, and actively engaged in enabling the new employee’s success.
Read the next in the New Kid on the Block Series – Part 4: David and His Friend Goliath (The Part of the Story You Never Thought About) – Onboarding Advice for New Employees
About RJ Winston Consulting: Reginald Winston, CEO and founder of RJ Winston Consulting, Inc. has 25+ years’ experience in Organizational Development with a focus on Executive Coaching & Training, Team Building, Group Facilitation, Conflict Management, and Professional Life Coaching. Before consulting, Mr. Winston held positions in numerous large organizations including Ameritech, SBC, Motorola, Advocate Health Care, Corning Consumer Products and the Federal Reserve. In addition, Mr. Winston’s service in the US Marine Corps and assignments with the United States Department of State gives him a unique insight in the challenges management teams & leaders face in the expanding global world market.
Mr. Winston has extensive experience in working with Hospital Administrators and Senior Medical staff (doctors, nurses and executive-level hospital administrators) in a wide variety of hospital settings and departments. His experience also extends to the public & private sector, as well as industrial, manufacturing and corporate environments where he has provided coaching services to C-Level Executives, Mid-Level Directors & Managers and teams. Mr. Winston holds a Master of Science Degree in Organization Development (MSOD) from Loyola University, in Chicago, Illinois.
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