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Executive onboarding – The 100-day race to success

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Andy Raymond.

DIRECTOR, REDLINE EXECUTIVE

27/08/2024

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Executive onboarding is often viewed as a sprint against the clock, where the first 100 days can make or break a leader’s tenure. Andy Raymond, Redline Executive Director has guided hundreds of C-suite, D-level, and senior-level executives through this critical period, refining onboarding strategies over the past 35 years to ensure tech executives not only survive but thrive in their new roles.

Executive onboarding is not just about welcoming a new leader to the business or giving them an overview via a company handbook. For new executives or directors, the first 100 days are often seen as a probationary period, where early missteps can set a lasting tone. According to Forbes, key onboarding elements for helping executives accelerate their success and mitigating risks include:

  • Getting a Head Start.
  • Gaining Quick Wins: Make informed decisions that lead to immediate positive results.
  • Managing the Message.
  • Setting Direction and Building the Team: Ensure everyone is on the same page and working towards common objectives.
  • Sustaining Momentum and Delivering Results.
  • Navigating Challenges: Proactively identify and address potential challenges before they escalate.

The gravity of a new business leader’s responsibility is inarguable. Successfully navigating these areas within the first 100 days sets the foundation for long-term impact. Effective onboarding significantly increases the chances of executives successfully integrating into their new role and fostering team cohesion from the start.

“True leadership isn't just about reaching the top—it's about lifting others up along the way”

The Weight of Leadership and the Importance of Onboarding

The expectations of a new CEOCIOCFO or CCO, are substantial. Effect executive onboarding is critical to meeting those expectations and establishing credibility, authority, and trust with the board, employees, and other stakeholders. Ideally, an executive onboarding program should begin as soon as an offer is accepted. This program must align with the company’s strategic goals and the executive's vision, focusing on preparing the new leader to understand both organisational dynamics, processes, and the competitive landscape.

Preparation is essential. New executives should be aware that entering a new organisation might evoke resistance. This can arise from employees’ attachment to current strategies or discomfort with potential changes in leadership dynamics. Winning over key players in the management team and gaining the trust of the wider workforce are crucial early objectives. Rapidly understanding the company culture will not only help the executive adapt but also make it easier to implement meaningful changes quickly.

Steps to Set the Stage for Onboarding Success

Many executives or directors have left their organisations without completing their initial one-year probation due to executive transition failure. To navigate the complex onboarding process, new executives should focus on the following steps:

  1. Analysis: Conduct a thorough evaluation of the company’s existing strategies, identifying strengths, gaps, and potential areas for transformation.
  2. Managing Expectations: Work with the board, ideally starting during the recruitment phase, to ensure both sides have aligned expectations and defined success metrics.
  3. Transparent Communication: Establish clear and consistent communication with all stakeholders to build trust and reduce any uncertainty.
  4. Visibility and Engagement: Increase visibility within the organisation. Try to connect with employees and understand the perspectives of clients and other key external stakeholders.
  5. Building the Management Team: Begin the process of assessing and, if necessary, restructuring your management team to ensure alignment with the new strategic direction.

The Board’s Role in Executive Onboarding

While new executives are responsible for setting the tone of their onboarding, they cannot do it alone. The board and hiring organisation must actively participate in the onboarding process. At Redline Executive, we support our clients throughout the hiring process, from offer preparation, acceptance, and resignation to the first days of onboarding. Our team maintains close contact with newly hired executives to guide them through their transition, helping to address any concerns that arise.

If the board does not clearly communicate the CEO’s, COO’s, CTO’s, etc objectives or provide consistent support, the executive’s success can be compromised. Proper onboarding requires upfront planning to avoid setting unreasonable expectations that would be difficult to achieve in a short timeframe. A lack of support and vague role descriptions often lead to confusion, eroding the executive’s confidence and making it challenging to build a positive reputation quickly. Onboarding is a complicated process, and it takes time, but the investment made will definitely pay off. 

In relation to the board, expectations must be aligned to avoid future conflicts or uncertainty about the role’s perquisite responsibilities and competencies, as well as the nature and timing of new strategies. This will ensure you know exactly what is expected as the company’s new executive.

Structured Integration: More than Just Onboarding

The Harvard Business Review suggests using the term “integration” rather than “onboarding” to highlight the goal of not just introducing a new executive but positioning them as a fully functioning team member from the outset. This approach focuses on fostering engagement and maximising an executive’s impact as swiftly and smoothly as possible.

Setting the Course for Success in the First 100 Days

Every executive, no matter their previous successes, faces unique challenges when stepping into a new role or organisation. These hurdles, if not effectively managed, can quickly turn into obstacles that hinder progress. The first one hundred days offer a vital window for executives to understand their new role deeply and begin setting a future vision for the organisation. During this period, it is essential for new executives to:

  • Formulate new goals aligned with both their vision and the company’s long-term strategy.
  • Communicate these expectations to align the organisation and ensure team buy-in.
  • Schedule and conduct critical meetings with various departments to understand the organisation holistically.
  • Implement 360-degree feedback loops to provide a holistic view of performance, areas of excellence and potential improvement arenas.

For an executive, “hitting the ground running” in a new leadership role means using this period to not only observe but actively engage, inspire, and set the tone for the company’s future. Successful onboarding is a well-calculated investment that pays dividends in the form of stability, team alignment, and momentum that fuels sustained organisational growth.

To learn more about Redline Executive's onboarding process or to discuss confidential C-suite and D-level job opportunities, please click here or contact Andy Raymond, Director, at +44 (0)1582 450054 or send an inquiry via email.

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