On-boarding is not just for others. Consider use of an on-boarding plan that works for you personally as well as for other leaders in your organization.
Also, on-boarding is not just for new leaders. An on-boarding plan can be followed to revitalize current leaders, for leaders in transition, and to leverage oneself to a higher level of performance.
An on-boarding plan is customized based on your company needs, and the needs of individual leaders. It is strongly recommended that a common template be followed to drive consistency and accountability. However, a common template can easily be adjusted to meet the needs of various departments, leaders or strategic needs.
The template I have followed for several years has changed little, though it does get updated annually. It moves across a 120 day time line.
Start with strategic alignment.
- Understand strategic initiatives
- Understand local environment
- Integrate with leadership team
Move to Planning
- Define and tackle low hanging fruit
- Build a short-term plan
- Begin a long-term plan
Validate Assumptions
- Make assumptions
- Use data
- Test and validate assumptions
- Get input from other key stakeholders
Execute Plans
- Implement action plans
- Partner with other leaders
- Share successes
- Update plans on an ongoing basis
Get Feedback and Communicate
- Get lots of feedback
- Get feedback from all levels of the organization
- Communicate status and next steps
- Be transparent
The key to this on-boarding strategy is to understand business and environmental contexts as quickly as possible; to make and test assumptions; to work with others; to share successes with other leaders and staff; and to communicate broadly to many stakeholder groups.
This outline is easily customized. Details can easily be added to meet your needs. This simple investment will give you focus and have a positive impact on your performance.