Like the duck sailing smoothly along the surface while paddling like mad underneath, what looks like a logical, sequential approach to onboarding is actually an ongoing series of constant iterations.
In The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan, we tell people moving into new jobs or new roles to follow three steps:
- Prepare in advance
- Manage the message
- Help others deliver
Many who read the book or go through our executive onboarding program get to the end and say "That was just common sense. But I like the way you structured it." Perhaps the most important part of the structure is its iterative nature.
- Preparing in advance is all about creating a hypothetical plan and then iterating it based on the input of key stakeholders before day one.
- Managing the message is all about discovering a hypothetical message and then iterating it to account for others' reactions and input.
- Helping other deliver is an ongoing series of plan – pilot – roll activities, building on previous efforts.
Bottom line, your mindset and approach are as important as what you do.
John Hall
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