Effective Onboarding Essay

A top leadership position is hard to come by for many, after years of toil; one may manage to get into the top corridors of management. So how do you make the best use of this opportunity and be successful in the new role. There are many organizational and structural factors that may play spoilsport. Research identifies the following factors that may contribute to leadership failure or ineffectiveness. Read through these pointers, so that you can successfully set yourself up during an upward career move.

Ineffective Onboarding:

Onboarding a new leader is fraught with biggest risk, and most of the times it is most neglected part of the transition by both the sides. Some of the commonly observed derailers that can adversely impact your career

• Misplaced ownership for onboarding—Leaders’ managers often assume senior-level promotions/ movements do not need guidance to navigate and adapt to the new organization, leaving responsibility for the onboarding process to the new incumbent.

Minimal Support During Transitions:

The critical period for leaders starts when they are making the initial transition from an individual contributor role to a management role. At this juncture, you must shift your focus from job-specific and technical skills to people management and leadership skills. Inability to adapt creates a risk of performance derailment and disengagement for those who may not possess inherent people management skills. Many executives who derail do so because they are unable or unwilling to adapt. The most common learning challenges for leaders include the following:

• Communicating clear and simple messages that have emotional impact

• Delegating and involving others

• Improving social skills, such as empathy, listening, and coaching

• Learning to sell good ideas, not just produce