You have a new job as Chief Learning Officer of a mid-sized company, but you’re worried about the transition into your new job. There are several lessons to think about before you start your new position.

• Transitioning executives are often are in a hurry to put “points on the scoreboard.” They want to show too much value too soon! By that I mean, they want to please their bosses by making a big splash before they win over the people they’ll need for sustainable performance—their peers and people who report directly to them.

• Transitioning executives are told by their new bosses to “get in there and shake things up."

• Unfortunately, the transitioning executive takes this as a mandate when in fact, what it really means is “make changes over time, but don’t drive people crazy in the meantime!”  Making too many changes, too quickly scares the hell out of people--both those who report directly to you and your peers.

Here’s my advice for a transitioning executive: Make haste slowly. Don’t start taking down pillars of support before you determine which are cosmetic and which ones are load-bearing and whose removal will cause the roof to fall in!

Transitioning executives often have no idea about the power of culture. The Seattle Seahawks call their fans the 12th player on their team; that acknowledgement of their fans is vital. It is the same with culture. Culture is the BIG Kahuna in any company. Edgar Schein (emeritus professor at MIT and culture guru) tells us that the culture of a business is like an iceberg: above the water, you can spot behaviors and artifacts (symbols and stuff you can see); just below the water are beliefs and values; and further out of sight are basic assumptions. It takes a while to see below the surface…in the meantime you can hit the iceberg if you’re not careful.

Onboarding—Is an Onboarding Process in Place?

When considering a new job, the first question I’d ask is “What is your onboarding process?” MANY companies have none. I just hosted a meeting with 20 CEOs on the topic of executive transition. Not one of them had any sort of an onboarding program. If the company you’re considering joining has a program, find out their process. If you find something missing, such as an assimilation meeting, lobby for one.

I’ve written a piece for T+D Magazine (June 2014 issue) that handles most of the basics of making a smooth transition.  Additionally, there are several books out there, such as The First 90 Days, and The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan, with further information on the subject. There is also a lot of information in Google and Google Scholar: focus on the research in Google Scholar for more dependable, repeatable processes.

If the company you’re joining doesn’t have an onboarding process—check out the references above and construct your own.  Don’t ignore the lack of a program; you will regret it.

Rules, Above and Below the Surface

When I was in the FBI in the Training Division at the Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia (a place that trains agents and police executives from around the world) an agent once said, “In the FBI, there are a lot of unwritten rules, AND they are strictly enforced!” He wasn’t kidding. The same is true at most companies with a strong culture.

It’s up to you to find a mentor to serve as a guide—someone to take you through your onboarding journey and help you avoid tripping over the unwritten rules that you may never see on your own. Unwritten rules such as: How do people greet each other? What do they call the CEO? What’s the dress code? Who’s really in charge of what? A mentor, who should be another executive not in your division, can be invaluable. However, if you get a bad mentor (as I did once) ditch him and find a better one. Everyone needs a good guide when in a new place.

One of my favorite techniques for taking the temperature of an organization is to sit down (one-on-one) with individual employees and peers as you settle in. I usually ask them to tell me about themselves, their families, what they like to do at work, the things they’re really good at and enjoy. I ask them what I should know about them and the company as I start the job. Finally, I ask them what’s one thing I could do to help them in their work. I make no promises and I thank them for talking to me.

Another thing I’ve seen used very effectively is to send out a questionnaire over Survey Monkey. Here are several questions to ask:

• What is the company/division/unit (whichever you’re interested in knowing about) doing well and should continue to do?

• What should the company stop or start doing to do an even better job?

• What else should I know as I come into the company?

Before making the transition into a new company, make sure you have all of the basics in writing: salary, benefits, vacation time, etc.  Next, think about the leadership philosophy: look for signs of high control (sign-in sheets, show-up requirements, things like that.) If you believe that people need to be monitored closely because they are lazy shirkers who can’t really be trusted (Theory X management), then OK. But if that’s not your management style, think twice before you jump in.

I’m a big fan of Linkedin. I’d see if any of my connections has a history with the company and find out what they think. I’d listen carefully to those who worked there and have values similar to mine.

Making the Transition Smoothly

I was just counseling a top executive transitioning into a major U.S. company. She’s smart, dedicated, and hard working, and she tends to come on strong. She asked my key piece of advice. I said—SLOW YOUR ROLL. Go in slow and “hit the ground LISTENING!” This is good advice for anyone who wants to matriculate into any organization. Go slowly at first, and then go faster later.

It is difficult to do, but if you want to make your own staff comfortable right from the beginning, be vulnerable. This is tough for most of us who want to come in looking strong. Men are particularly bad at this. Professor Brene Brown (see her TED Talk on this) talks a lot about the power of telling people we don’t know it all. Telling the staff and direct reports that you really have a lot to learn and will be leaning on them, shows you’re not an insufferable know-it-all, and that goes a long way. The more you’re willing to expose your weaknesses, the more people trust you—and trust is at the heart of success for any leader.

I highly recommend doing a leadership assimilation meeting in the first couple of weeks. Hire a coach or an independent third party to conduct the meeting. It’s simple and has a huge effect. I’ve conducted two in the last week. The way they work is the coach sends out a questionnaire to everyone who reports directly to you, asking questions like: What do you want to know about the new leader such as his family, hobbies, and background? What do you want to know about his vision, values, and work style? What advice would you give him as he comes in? 

Usually I ask six or seven main questions and get dozens of questions in response. Believe me, you will get a response, especially if you ensure that all responses will be confidential and that you will aggregate them. Then, on the day of the meeting with staff, I act like a talk show host and read the questions and reveal the gist of the answers. The new leader has seen the aggregated responses prior to the meeting, so he is not taken by surprise. Usually the meeting drifts into a conversation as people become more confident. Every time I have done these assimilation meetings, both the new leader and their teams have told others and me how valuable they are. Do NOT skip this process!

Your Leadership Style

Typically after one of these assimilation meetings, it takes about 30 minutes for the word to get out about how cool the meeting was and what a neat person you seem to be. I know of nothing that equals this. Also, I recommend an informal 360 survey in about three to four months to see how the assimilation is really going.

As a talent development professional you need to heed the advice you give to others! Talent management folks are often like the carpenter who fixes his own house last. In fact, when it comes to your own career, I recommend using a coach. Find a peer coach, another talent development professional, to coach you objectively about your own career and transition. Finally, keep a journal to work through the various issues you encounter, using reflection and writing to keep track of what does and does not work for the next transition in your life.

_Steve Gladis, founder and CEO of Leadership Partners, 703.424.3780,

www.stevegladisleadershippartners.com, [email protected]_