Cara has been with her current company for 12 years, has been the CFO for the last five, and reporting to the same CEO during that time. The CEO of her company recently retired and Cara now has a new boss for the first time in a long time, as do her other colleagues on the company’s senior leadership team. While it’s obvious to all that the new CEO is going through a period of transition (new company, adjacent but different industry, etc.) what is often overlooked is the transition that others, including individuals, teams and business functions, go through as a result of adding or promoting new leaders. I call these “aftershock” transitions.
Sure, the new CEO in our example needs to prove their worth and convince others they are trustworthy and have sound judgment and skills, but this is THE CEO! Making judgments about direct reports’ performance and abilities and that of the organization are part of the job description. Desired behaviors in the old regime may no longer be valued as much or at all in the new one. Cara’s work life has changed, not necessarily for the better (or worse) but it has changed, and ignoring this fact has consequences.
Some changes bring about vast improvements. Most of us have had the opportunity to be a part of team where a difficult or underperforming team member was replaced with another more qualified or better fitting employee. This change is even more impactful when the change is one in leadership. In these situations, it often feels as if the “sea” parts and the positive changes can be seen and felt immediately. With welcome changes, we are more than happy to make individual adjustments or sacrifices, e.g. time spent in training the new person.
Adapting to situations like the one Cara is facing come with more challenges and risk. What can she do to ensure her success and that of her new boss? In my work, I’ve been asked to help in hundreds of transitions (dating myself a bit there) and have identified six ways one can successfully navigate aftershock transitions.
- Recognize that you are going through a transition. When someone or something new enters a system, it’s clear that they are experiencing a change. Become adept at noticing changes you must to adapt to as a result of other forces. Cara’s first step is to become aware that she’ll need to adapt a different go-forward strategy for success in working most productively with the new CEO.
- Be honest with yourself about the current reality. Cara is feeling the loss of a mentor and friend and predictable success factors among other things. This is natural and doesn’t mean that she won’t eventually have these benefits with the new CEO. Recognizing how she’s experiencing this transition will help her choose the best times and ways to proceed as her new relationship unfolds.
- Know your boss’ “charter” (including immediate and long term goals). Leaders, particularly CEOs, are hired in large part to bring about organizational growth and performance improvement. Cara’s new CEO may have received very different marching orders, also called a charter, from the company’s Board of Directors than the prior CEO. Not knowing what success looks like for your boss leads to actions that can best be described as “hinting and hoping” – not the best prescription for success. During her next meeting with the CEO, Cara added an agenda item to ask about her boss’ charter, which the CEO greatly appreciated.
- Understand your boss’ style and the similarities and differences contrasted with your own. All too often we incorrectly diagnose differences in approach too personally, leading to hurt feelings and generalized beliefs that others don’t like us or see our value. Tools like the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and DiSC shed a great deal of light on ways to maximize similarities and differences in style.
- Help your boss acclimate. You are in a great position to help your new boss learn what she or he needs to know to more quickly and effectively deliver on their charter. Take the opportunity to be gracious, make introductions, share relevant information and generally be helpful.
- Show your value. Not performing your best or withholding what you know is not going to help your new leader become effective, and it certainly doesn’t honor the past CEO in Cara’s case. Adding value to what your boss is trying to accomplish is a surefire way to both contribute to the organization’s success and take advantage of what you can control in the situation.
The opportunities that arise from workplace changes are unlimited. Becoming adept at quickly noticing aftershock transitions and taking appropriate actions are additional ways you can show value in the workplace and be your best self!
Tad Dwyer, M.Ed. is the CEO and Founder of Tad Dwyer Consulting, a consulting practice dedicated to helping organizations, teams and individuals thrive during times of change and transition. If you or someone on your team could benefit from accelerated onboarding process, Tad Dwyer Consulting is ready to help. We have programs to support newly hired leaders, hiring managers, Human Resource Departments, and Executives.