David and His Friend Goliath (The Part of the Story You Never Thought About) – Onboarding Advice for New Employees
We all know the common part of the story: David, a stripling shepherd, takes on Goliath, an imposing giant. For those of you old enough to remember, we had our own version some years ago when a young boxer named Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) took on the baddest man in boxing, Sonny Liston.
In both cases the most known part of the lessons were not to underestimate or overestimate your opponent, not to let your expectations of the rules of engagement cloud the reality of battle, the advantages of speed and mobility over size and fixed positions. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book, David and Goliath, provides many more lessons regarding seeming disadvantages that turn out to be advantages in lopsided encounters.
But all these lessons have to do with situations in which Goliath is the adversary. What about those even more usual situations in which Goliath is your friend or ally, your employer or client? What you bring to those encounters are the same speed and flexibility that David used to bring down Goliath. But now those resources can be put to mutual advantage.
Large organizations operate according to policies and procedures; in ordinary times these are enough to keep the wheels of progress rolling slowly and steadily along. But these days ordinary times only last fifteen minutes. Unless the behemoth is accompanied by fast, maneuverable fighter escorts, its own size is its vulnerability.
Even within policies and procedures there is room for speed and innovation. W. Edwards Deming famously said that all knowledge comes from outside the company. What all due respect, Deming was wrong. His statement would be more accurate if it recognized that a great deal of knowledge within the organization withers on the vine because it is unrecognized, not respected, unsought or unrewarded.
Large organizations, in order to avoid informational clutter and distraction establish gatekeepers, people or policies that restrict the flow of information up the hierarchy. The first task of the innovator then is to find someone, or some situation, within range of their limited influence that is likely to look favorably on their proposal. A local solution, informed by relevant experience, and providing an exact fit to circumstances is the first rung on the ladder.
David was very good with his slingshot; he had plenty of time and opportunity to practice out there protecting his flocks from predators. When the moment came David knew just where to aim for maximum effect. Without that knowledge and his physical skill, the effort would have been wasted. So before you get ahead of yourself with your own next big thing, make sure you know what you are talking about, your credentials are in order, and how your recommendation affects local (meaning departmental) conditions, as well as whatever broader target you have in mind.
Goliath might not have been more useful to David alive than dead but your own personal Goliath is more valuable as an ally than a trophy.
Onboarding Advice – Tips for Success
- ONBOARDING ADVICE PART #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.
- ONBOARDING ADVICE PART #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.
- ONBOARDING ADVICE PART #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.
- ONBOARDING ADVICE PART #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.
- ONBOARDING ADVICE PART #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.
- ONBOARDING ADVICE PART #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.
- ONBOARDING ADVICE PART #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.
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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