Executive Leadership drives culture and results in an organization. Bringing a new executive onto your team is more than just filling a vacancy, it’s an investment in the organization’s future success. Many newly hired executives find the first six to 12 months to be “lonely at the top” especially when they have not been afforded a thoughtful onboarding process. How costly can poor onboarding be to the hiring organization? Data shows an astounding rate of 40 percent executive turnover within 18 months of a new role with an estimated cost of $2.7 million per executive.[1]
What preventive steps can you take to avoid this costly impact to your organization? You can invest in your new executive from their first day with an onboarding program that focuses, not only on the technical aspects of the role but also, on the cultural, relational, and strategic elements as well.
HealthSearch Partners (HSP) recognizes the critical nature of onboarding, so we give clients and candidates a “foot up” on the process by developing an organizational profile in the search process. This comprehensive snapshot of the hiring organization’s history, culture, and expectations is helpful for the organization to tell their current story and can be invaluable to the candidate who is hired because it allows the executive to embark on the next step in their career with their eyes wide open to the existing strategic issues.
Developing relationships across the organization early in a new role can be a key to understanding and leading the culture of the organization.
The first step in developing an executive onboarding program is to adopt or create a framework to build the program. I believe the framework described by Talya Bauer, Cameron Professor of Management at Portland State University is simple yet effective. Her four-component framework features the four C’s — Clarification, Compliance, Culture, and Connection. To this framework I would add a fifth C which is Credo. The best onboarding programs are in a cohort style where new executives can begin to develop relationships as they are assimilating into the organization.
The first C- clarification — refers to understanding the role, the priorities and the acronyms used in the organization. (its cultural language). It also underpins the understanding of how the organization works to “get things done.”
The second C- Compliance — refers to understanding the necessary structural processes in the organization such as employment paperwork, badges, access, IT security, and codes of conduct. The nuts and bolts of the organization’s day-to-day functioning, if you will. This is important for all team members, but especially for leadership who is responsible to lead these practices.
The third C-Culture — is my personal favorite. Understanding culture early in an executive’s tenure creates higher rates of long-term success. Executive leaders have the responsibility to live the mission and drive the culture because they are the chief culture officers. Understanding the nuances of the culture and determining and sustaining the health of the culture are important aspects of executive leadership.
The fourth C- Connection — relates to developing relationships, understanding support mechanisms and recognizing and connection to information networks are key to being effective in the new executive role.
The fifth C- Credo — is the new executive’s personal mission statement. It is the way he or she shows up every day. It is at the core of his or her leadership. In the early days of a new role in a new organization, it is a good time for the new executive to revisit and reaffirm his or her personal credo. This will ground the executive as he or she begins to learn and assimilate into a new organization.
For example, here’s my credo: 1. Greet each day with positivity and joy 2. Be more curious than certain 3. Make a positive difference, and 4. Own my attitude. Executive leadership onboarding programs that are built around these five C’s give the new executive an opportunity for sustainable success.
While the organization has a responsibility to develop and provide onboarding, the new executive has the responsibility to focus on his or her “inside out leadership” development.
A hallmark book on the topic is The First 90 Days- Proven Strategies for Getting up to Speed Faster and Smarter, by Michael D. Watkins. For the first 90 days Watkins offers a road map for this work.
I have had colleagues tell me every time they have started a new job, this was the book they read over and over. I have seen organizations give this book to new executives as part of the onboarding process. Some of the key questions noted in the book are: “What has made you successful so far in your career? Can you succeed in your new position by relying solely on those strengths? If not, what are the critical skills you need to develop?
According to Doug Duffield, Senior Vice President at HealthSearch Partners, and a former hospital Chief Executive Officer, “New executives are often selected because they can help reshape or transform the organizational culture. They need to do it from the inside out. Onboarding helps the new executive understand the current culture and that is crucially important. I also felt it was vitally important for the new executive to get to know the community. So, a component of our onboarding program included pairing him or her with someone in our organization who could make introductions to the formal and informal leaders, meaning key players, in our community. Often there are generational leaders in the communities we serve who are important for the executive to know early, instead of later when an issue could come up where their support was needed.”
Everyone should consider having an Executive Partner Coach
Leadership is not only an inside out job but also a lifelong journey of evolving and growing. The questions noted above are the kind a new executive needs to ask him or herself. Having an executive coach/partner/mentor to help him or her in this discovery and growing work can be an added ingredient that helps foster success.
“I support what Susan has suggested about executive coaches,” Duffield says. “I had a coach, and I thought he was very helpful to me personally and professionally. There are things you can say to your coach that you could never say to your leadership team. And there are some things a coach can tell you that your leadership team could never say to you. If you are offered an executive coach, get a one!”
Onboarding is ingrained into our search experience
HealthSearch Partners has long recognized the critical importance of expanding the search experience by encouraging a comprehensive onboarding program for newly hired executives. We can partner with our clients to help them think through an onboarding experience that helps executives feel welcomed, valued, and trusted by their team and entire new organization. Included in this is identifying a mentor for the new executive is a must-have for any onboarding program. We also know accepting a new position that involves moving to a new city is a family affair. Executives factor the feelings and well-being of their spouse and children into their decision to join a new organization. Onboarding must include them, supporting their needs with a variety of contacts and resources.
Today’s healthcare executive wants to be successful, both personally and as a part of the entire team. So please don’t overlook and undervalue onboarding in your formula for success.
Sources:
[1] Tonello, Mateo, CEO Succession Practices in the Russell 3000 and S&P 500, Jan. 2021, The Conference Board, Inc.
Bauer, Talya N., Onboarding: the Critical Role of Hiring Managers, Management Analytics, LLC, 2013.
Watkins, M. D. (2013). The first 90 days, updated and expanded: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter. Harvard Business Review Press.
Dr. Susan Glover is Vice President, Consultant for HealthSearch Partners, susang@healthsearchpartners.com.
Doug Duffield is Senior Vice President for HealthSearch Partners, dduffield@healthsearchpartners.com.
About HealthSearch Partners:
HealthSearch Partners is a nationally recognized healthcare executive search firm. We partner with mission-driven hospitals and health systems to find leaders who are focused on success. As a mid-sized firm, our senior search leaders work with clients throughout the engagement, accessing a larger pool of talent, to find the right candidate that is the right fit. www.healthsearchpartners.com.
