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Executive Onboarding

Russ Jones worked for his employer for 21 years. Suddenly, he was given responsibility for a new commercial division and for the company’s sponsorship of the 2010 Olympics. He was overwhelmed by a new job in a new division with new people all around him.

Our specialized Executive Onboarding Program helped Russ manage multiple projects, orient himself in his new division, and achieve a sense of focus and balance.

Executive Onboarding Program Description

Studies by the Harvard Business School have shown that executive turnover in large companies is 17%. If a CEO is replaced, the resulting turnover among existing executives can reach 33%.

Why? Without the right supports in place, many new executives struggle in their new roles, especially in the first ninety days.

Executive onboarding combines conventional orientation and training with intensive coaching, focused skills development, and objective performance feedback. It can help executives learn the ropes in their new position, manage the stress of the transition and succeed as strong organizational leaders.

Who is Executive Onboarding Designed for?

  • organizational leaders who have been assigned new responsibilities through a promotion or realignment of corporate roles
  • newly hired executives
  • C-Level executives who want to learn how to help their managers adapt to new roles

Objectives and Outcomes

With the Executive Onboarding Program leaders will learn how to:

  • gain a complete understanding of the organization’s culture and strategic directions
  • develop effective relationships with other senior managers
  • gain an awareness of business workflow and cycles
  • meet with and learn from key stakeholders
  • assess the strengths and weaknesses of their teams
  • identify and implement mission-critical initiatives
  • learn how to maintain a balanced life as they take on your their new responsibilities

Program Structure

Some companies incorporate Executive Onboarding into their Leadership Development Programs. Talk to us about making Distinct Planning a part of this process.

The first step is design of the program:

  1. In association with key personnel decided on by the company (HR Managers, Directors, Owners) we design expected outcomes for the onboarding initiative.
  2. Written orientation packages are given to our Distinct Planning HR Consultants and any enhancements to this internal process can be reviewed.
  3. Onboarding programs are designed with the company in mind. We follow best practices and include a combination of:
    • functional performance training
    • conventional orientation
    • intensive, highly focused coaching*
    • performance feedback and 360 assessment tools

Most programs are a minimum of six months as this is the critical onboarding timeframe.

Effective Onboarding includes:

  • maximizing skills for the new role
  • aligning leadership style with the culture of the workplace
  • beginning to develop effective ‘key’ relationships
  • understanding the who, what and why of the decision making process

NOTE: Many of our Executive Onboarding Programs include an internal coach mentoring program. All include an external, objective coach partnership. This coaching relationship is essential to the guaranteed success of our programs.

With executive onboarding leaders can:

  • identify the skills needed most in their new role
  • align themselves with the corporate culture in their new workplace
  • build effective relationships with other leaders and those who report to them
  • navigate the decision-making process

Coaching is a critical component of this program. It reinforces what is learned and helps organizational leaders retain their new knowledge and apply it to their new position.

Without coaching, 87% of the knowledge gained from training is lost, according to a study done by Xerox.

Learn More About the Value of Executive Onboarding and Coaching

Executives can continue to benefit from “postboarding” coaching after they pass the first 3 to 6 months in their new position. Read our SYSCO success story to find out more about the benefits of executive coaching, and the striking differences in performance between executives who are coached and those who are not.

Executive onboarding provides the guidance and support that leaders need during times of transition in their professional and personal lives. Contact Distinct Planning today to find out more.