Three words can make a huge difference to your onboarding success: create – control – connect
CREATE
Day One is a critical pivot point for people joining from outside the company. The same is true for the formal announcement of someone getting promoted from within. In both situations you can CREATE time and accelerate progress by getting a head start and hitting the ground running. A little early momentum goes a long way.
CONTROL
Everything communicates. People read things into everything you say and do, and everything you don’t say and don’t do. Thus you’re far better off choosing and controlling what they see and hear, and when they see and hear it, than in letting others make those choices for you or letting them happen by chance.
CONNECT
A new leader’s first 100 days are the best time to put in place the basic building blocks of a high performing team. You will fail if you try to do everything yourself, without the support and buy-in of your team. As a team leader, your own success is inextricably linked to the success of the team as a whole.
So keep these three words in mind as you think through and implement your onboarding plan. And let me know how you are doing by posting your thoughts here.