By Debra Hughes, MBA, Ph.D.
With their inside viewpoint, promoted leaders should have an easier time integrating into new positions than external hires, right? Actually, the facts might surprise you.
Research finds executives moving up not only face the same hurdles as their outside counterparts, but must confront additional challenges unique to the transition process.
According to a recent study by RHR International, a significant number of promoted leaders encounter difficulty. In the first three months, almost 80 per cent rated themselves as prepared to take on their new role. By the 10-month mark, up to 40 per cent find the transition a challenge; 20 per cent rate it a downright disappointment. Even for those whose overall experience is positive, the challenges they report facing are real, visceral and often unexpected.
The leadership article in the previous issue of HR Professional introduced five key success factors for onboarding new executives. These are equally valuable to promoted individuals, but with unexpected twists. Understanding the differences will help HR professionals steady and support stumbling executives.
Role clarity
Job requirements are usually discussed thoroughly with external candidates during the selection process. Conversations with internal candidates tend to be more perfunctory. Unless it is addressed, this vacuum can lead to misalignment and confusion almost immediately. Lack of role clarity was the number one complaint of promoted leaders polled.
Relationships
External hires build their reputations from a clean sheet of paper. Internals do not have the same opportunity. Promoted executives always take their history with them to the next level. Condescension, jealousy and resentment may manifest themselves when former peers become direct reports and former superiors are now peers. Relationships may need re-contracting, strengthening or repairing.
Navigating culture
While most promoted executives say they understand the culture, they still struggle to navigate it. Leaders who advance to a new level can underestimate how difficult it is to influence others to support their goals and plans. They tend to assume the power of their new position will suffice. They often discover that their effectiveness is inhibited by a lack of focus on building the credibility they need to maneuver effectively at a higher level in the organization.
Early wins
External hires realize that early wins are critical to establishing credibility. Those transitioning internally put less pressure on themselves. Promoted executives tend to assume they are already a “known entity.” They overlook the fact that others are watching them carefully for evidence that they deserve the job and thus miss an important opportunity to quickly and effectively establish themselves in their new role.
Accelerated learning
Taking on a new role will inevitably reveal gaps in knowledge and experience. Again, promoted leaders tend to overestimate how prepared they are. More importantly, others assume that the leader already knows everything just because he/she has worked in the organization. The challenge is to acknowledge the gaps, address them and get up to speed as quickly as possible.
How HR professionals can improve and accelerate leadership transitions
Many organizations have robust, effective processes for recruiting, selecting and onboarding external talent. To ensure success, HR professionals should apply the same methodical approach to managing their internal succession as they do their external recruitment and hiring. The application of these proven procedures to internal placements should likewise enhance the success rate of these transitions and accelerate the performance of promoted executives.
Before the transition
Defining the role and context before a formal selection process occurs is critical for success:
• Develop a formal job description that identifies success criteria for the role, including critical skills and competencies.
• Generate a complete roster of potential candidates to thoroughly vet alternatives.
• Involve the hiring manager early. Without his/her input before the selection, and active support afterwards, the promoted executive’s chances of success are significantly reduced.
Making the decision
Just as with external selection, once the hiring criteria and the context have been defined, potential candidates can be objectively screened and assessed against these standards. The procedure should:
• Include a formal selection process that provides a clear picture on each candidate’s fit and hones in on specific development gaps that will form a foundational piece of a transition and development plan.
• Incorporate multiple interviews so candidates can start to form an understanding of the role, boss and peer expectations and anticipated challenges. In addition to ensuring there is fit on both sides, this will kick-start role clarity.
• Anticipate integration challenges. Where is this person most likely to struggle? Engaging in this analysis early will ensure that customized support is immediately available. This advance preparation will accelerate the transition.
Post-transition support
Don’t abandon the executive once the selection decision has been made:
• Make a clean break. Asking leaders to take on a new role while they are still performing old duties is an all-too-common scenario. Minimize overlaps.
• Confirm that the boss is engaged as a partner in the leader’s ongoing success. This is the single best predictor of transition success.
• Share assessment feedback – key strengths and identified gaps. Use this as the foundation for a development plan targeted at rapidly closing gaps that can derail success.
• Design a written transition and development plan, endorsed by both the new leader and his/her manager (strongly recommended).
• Ensure that the leader receives early feedback to enable timely course corrections and subtle changes in approach and style that can accelerate successful integration.
• Monitor progress past the first three months. Internal transfers report struggling most in their new role well past the six-month mark.
Dr. Debra Hughes is a partner with RHR International LLP (Toronto).