Got my role sort figured out.
I’ve arranged for Ellen to move to a role in investor relations. With the IPO, that function is becoming increasingly important. Ellen does have some strong communication skills. She just never bought into me. Want her in the company – just not on my team.
David stays where he is for now. He’s doing great.
Will move Samantha to take Ellen’s role. She’ll be good.
Faith stays in her media job.
Carlos moves into a new role heading up Communication (advertising development, PR messaging, social media)
The process on this was important.
1) I gathered my own impressions over the first 10 weeks or so
2) I read through everyone’s past personnel reviews – after forming my own impressions
3) I got input from HR. They know the history and how things really work around here
4) I got my boss, Jack’s input into the plan. We had a good discussion about Ellen and whether it was better to move on her now or later.
5) Jack and I took his boss, Susan through the plan to get her input. She agreed with most everything and came up with the idea of moving Ellen into investor relations now – an elegant solution in that it plays to Ellen’s strengths. I don’t feel like I’m exporting a problem, just resolving a potentially bad inter-personal relationship.
Reflections
The Role Sort is one of the critical steps of The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan. What’s important is figuring out who’s in the right role and who’s in the wrong role – not to move them immediately, but as the basis for a plan that kicks off the organizational process. I’m glad we know where we’re going this early on with regard to people.
The way we did was important as well. By making HR, Jack, and Susan partners in the discussion we were building things together as opposed to me selling them in. The process helped strengthen my relationships with them.
Of course, all we have is a plan. We’ll see how things play out as we start to implement. Jack and Susan fully support moving Ellen off the marketing team. If she doesn’t want the investor relations role, we’ll help her find something outside the company. It’s important to be ready for people to react to changes like, well, people.
The New Leader’s Journal is a fictional exercise illustrating the prescriptions and tools in the 3rd edition of The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan. Click here to request an executive summary of the book. Click here to order a copy.
