Critical onboarding question: Wok or a Teapot?

People process information differently.  So, as you're onboarding into an organization and meeting new people, it's helpful to figure out if they are woks, teapots, or percolators.

Woks quick cook things.  They stir-fry information, processing it immediately.  They think with their mouths.  Be prepared to engage them in rapid-fire discussions and get to quick decisions.

Teapots let things brew.  They like to mull information over on their own.  Give them time and space to think things through.

Percolators like to turn things over and stir them up.  They like to discuss – think – discuss.  Be prepared to have a series of separate, discrete conversations with these people as they work towards a point of view.

Anyone have any other appliances they want to add to the mix?  Should we talk about people that like to broil, boil, grill, or just steam others?

Read More Articles

Two martial man engaging in a judo combat
Deploying Judo Strategy To Throw A Stronger Business Competitor

In judo, you do not try to overpower a stronger opponent. You accept their strength, side-step their thrust, and use their weight and momentum to throw them. My earlier article,…

Read Article
A rugged expedition vehicle drives along a long, empty road toward lush mountains under a dramatic sky.
Deliberately Stupid Executive Onboarding

Every executive walking into a new role is, for a while, stupid. Not incapable. Not unqualified. Stupid in the specific, unavoidable sense that they do not yet know what they…

Read Article
A group of executives in a meeting, getting to know each other and working together.
Succeeding Your Own Boss

There's a version of executive onboarding that almost never gets written about, probably because it looks so easy from the outside. Whether it’s the CFO succeeding the CEO, or the…

Read Article
Functional Leader Onboarding: Converge Before You Evolve

The fastest way for a new functional or operational leader to fail is to start changing the team before becoming part of it. The better sequence is simpler and harder: converge first,…

Read Article
Integration Leadership Isn’t a Detail. It’s the Deal.

KKR's $5.7 billion agreement to acquire Integer Holdings closed a strategic review that started back in April. The medtech manufacturer's board ran the process. Advisors ran the numbers. Lawyers ran…

Read Article
In M&A Integration, Culture Isn’t the Soft Part. It’s the Job.

Private equity has been on a buying spree. Bolt-on acquisitions, platform builds, roll-ups across logistics, healthcare, professional services, and beyond. Deal teams have gotten faster and more disciplined about diligence,…

Read Article