4 Biggest Mistakes Executives Make When Transitioning into a New Role

Introduction

As an executive transitioning into a new role, you aspire to hit the ground running and have an impact. That is an admirable trait. However, the question becomes how to ensure you achieve those aspirations?   

Your approach in the first 6 to 9 months in a new role is critical to this aim and your long-term success. Unfortunately, if you deploy the wrong strategy during these early days, it can lead to failure. And there are four mistakes that many executives make that lead to disappointment – both for them and the organization they join.   

Mistake 1: Making Big Changes Too Early

Many executives in a new seat understandably feel the pressure to prove that the organization that hired them made the right call. It can be hard to hold back in making changes when you feel that pressure. That said, making significant changes early in a role can lead to a few nasty side effects.   

When you don’t take the time to listen to and learn from other senior leaders and your team, you can make huge mistakes that harm your reputation. And once you break trust, it’s one of the hardest things to win back. Additionally, when you come in with guns blazing, you can lose respect from those around you. Such early bold moves will also dampen relationships with those you must-have in your camp to meet your mission and priorities. 

When entering a new organization, your best move is to be in listening and learning mode in your first several months. To understand others’ expectations, learn how things get done around your new organization, and understand the nuances of the business you are supporting.

Mistake 2: Remaining in Sales Mode

The second mistake I see executives make is continuing to promote themselves after they get hired. This error plays out in a few ways. One way I have seen this unfold is that the executive tries to position their visibility. Rather than taking the time to get to know others and learn about their new organization, they want to gain face time in important meetings with key executives.   

A second way this can reveal itself is by bragging about all you accomplished in your past positions. And finally, it can show up as a version of mistake number 1, above. Again the best course of action when entering an organization is engaging a beginner’s mind. Again, your goal in the first few months is to deepen your understanding of how you can deliver value and build a dashboard for providing that value.

Mistake 3: Not Taking the Time to Build Relationships with Key Internal Stakeholders

As I note above, your first 6 to 9 months in a role are critical to your long-term success. As mention above, the first part of this time is about being in learning mode. That said, this early period is also a necessary time to foster trust and alignment with others.  

Another big mistake I see executives make early in a role is that they do not realize the precious opportunity to build relationships. When you walk in the door, most of those you interact with will give you a measure of trust. Your job is to make on that and not lose that precious gift.  

When you build your onboarding dashboard, you must note the critical relationships you must nurture to be successful. I strongly suggest you have three phases of conversations with your boss, direct reports, and key executive stakeholders that include:

1. Getting to know them on a personal level
2. Exploring their view on the organization’s and your team’s most significant opportunities and challenges.
3. Better understanding how they see you adding value in your role as well as the improvements they would like to see from your team(s).

Mistake 4: Being a Lone Ranger

Finally, don’t go it alone! Many executives feel they have to figure things out on their own. If they are unsure of something or don’t know something, they will spend hours figuring it out for themselves. When they do this, they are working harder on themselves than necessary.

Remember, those who brought you into the organization want to see you succeed. Your boss and other key executives do not expect you to know everything! Thus, to ensure you get the support you need, you can follow a few strategies:

1. As you build your relationships in the organization, you will likely find some who will become friends and mentors. As you form such relationships, you can commit to support each other’s success and get together from time to time to assist each other.
2. If you are in a particular role, such as CEO, CFO, CTO/CIO, etc.., reach out to your network of others in the same function. If your network has holes, proactively build new relationships with those individuals. Then leverage those relationships either by developing a mutual support agreement or build a mentoring relationship.
3. Hire a seasoned executive coach who has a proven track record of assisting executives in the onboarding process. The investment will be well worth it as you exceed expectations!

Conclusion

Landing a dream executive role is a fantastic opportunity. You have the expertise, seasoning, and leadership abilities to succeed, or they would not have hired you. Indeed, you want to add value as quickly as possible. To do so, you must make a counterintuitive move to go slow to go fast. Early in a new role, commit to learn and listen, A LOT!  

Further, take the precious grace period you have been given at the start of your part and build deep trust with those who will ensure your long-term success. If you do those things, you will set yourself up for the success you aspire to generate. 

Additional Support for Transitioning Executives

If would value further assistance with your onboarding success, I have put together the Executive Onboarding Success Mini-course. This course provides a detailed overview of my Executive Onboarding Success system and integrates a client case study that demonstrates how one executive benefited from the system. The course has gotten great reviews and is packed with value. To engage the course, follow this link for instant access.