CHICAGO–The dynamic conditions in many companies and credit unions have created ongoing scenarios where executives must transition into new leadership positions throughout their careers.
According to Matt Cain, the CEO of Couchbase, the first 100 days in any new leadership position are acritical time to make a positive impression and lay a meaningful foundation for the future.
Writing on Entrepreneur.com, Cain said the following
six-step philosophy can help ensure a strong start in a new leadership role. All of the comments following each point are those of Cain.
1. Listen and learn.
You were hired because you bring a lot to your new role and company. But, there’s so much to learn! And it’s incumbent upon you to create an environment that maximizes your ability to do so. Create as many opportunities as you can to meet, build rapport with and establish immediate connections with employees, customers and other key stakeholders. Ask what’s working, what’s not working, where they need help, what could be better about the company and what they’d do if they were you. And then listen. While many leaders are often prominent communicators, the importance of listening is often undervalued, overlooked and underused.
2. Overcommunicate, connect, establish trust and open the “virtual door.”
Tell people what you are going to do, do it and tell them what you learned. Transparency, action and follow-up are key for building relationships and trust with both customers and employees. Be visible and be responsive. Ensure people know where to find you and that you are open to ideas, thoughts and feedback, good and bad.
While I’ve embraced the open-door policy by locating my desk in the same open environment as all employees, I’ve also pushed open the “virtual door” by communicating activities and progress early, and often to set a precedence for transparency.
3. Slow down to speed up.
As a leader, there are often expectations to deliver results immediately. While this can be true, it’s important to fight the temptation to jump into action. Slow the pace in the beginning and fully analyze what the current state of the business and opportunities. Leaders who take a more thoughtful approach in the beginning will see higher quality results in the long run, and will also have more organizational buy-in.
4. Establish a parallel plan for product and market learning.
Don’t exist within a bubble. New leaders must not only understand their company and products, but also the wider market landscape. Know your customers and understand what your competitors are doing.
While you have a lot to learn, the company must continue to perform. Don’t overburden your team with your personal education. Determine what you can do on your own to get up to speed.
5. Integrate into the cadence of company.
Understand how the company operates. It’s important to familiarize yourself with the pace and comfort level of the company’s and employees’ operations. As a new leader, if you enter a position and vastly redesign your employees’ roles and pace too quickly, they’re more likely to experience greater amounts of stress and new leader rejection. While innovation is important, understanding the pace at which change can effectively be implemented is essential.
6. React to mission critical situations.
Learning and building a foundation for the future is essential, but never forget that you have a company to run and that responsibility can be delegated. You must take action in critical situations, whether internal or external, that threaten the success and growth of your overall business. Issues will arise, whether it’s a big deal, a sudden change in the market or a sensitive employee issue. Be prepared to be flexible.
For Cain’s full posting, go here.