Onboarding: a key stage

The appointment of a new manager is a pivotal moment in the life of a department or organization. Like the arrival of any new employee, the onboarding phase is a key stage. It’s just as important for the new manager, who needs to get to grips with his or her new duties, team and working environment.

This phase will be just as important for the team, who will be discovering a new manager, how he or she operates, his or her ambitions for the department, the directions he or she wishes to take, and the inspirations and values to be conveyed. Neglecting this onboarding phase and thinking that “things will take care of themselves” is a dangerous risk.

Taking on a management position is not an improvisation

Accompanying the new appointee is an important step in gaining perspective on the challenges of the job. Taking a step back will also prevent the new manager from “diving headlong” into operations, putting team needs and strategic issues to one side. 

A concrete example

Let’s take the example of this 6-strong team in the IT department of a company active in the leisure industry. The manager is retiring and will be replaced by one of the 6 team members. The company wants the transition to go as smoothly as possible, and calls in a professional coach to support the new manager a few weeks before his official appointment.

The process 

An initial meeting is held with the future manager, his or her director, the human resources manager and the coach. The aim is to launch the process and set clear objectives for all concerned. Immediately afterwards, individual coaching begins, with the new manager and the coach only. The manager can explain his or her working environment and how he or she sees the new position.

Taking height and advice

In this very real situation, the future manager in question, who was rather reserved by nature, thought it best to remain discreet when taking up his new post. He didn’t want to offend his colleagues, with whom he had already worked for a number of years; business as usual, so to speak. This onboarding coaching made it clear that the future manager had to take his place as manager with simplicity and determination. The coach was there to give him a sense of perspective and help him define appropriate and relevant actions.

Actions taken as part of this coaching programme

By taking into account the specifics of the team and the working environment, the coach was able to support the new manager during the first few weeks of his new role, by working on the following concrete actions: 

  • Organizing the first working session with the team, 
  • Sharing his vision for the department, 
  • Setting up bilateral meetings with each member of the team, 
  • Setting objectives discussed with the team. 

All these actions were challenged, prepared in advance and discussed after they had been put in place, during the coaching sessions.

The right managerial stance

On two occasions during the process, the 4 people involved (the new manager, the director, the HR manager and the coach) met; once halfway through to make an initial assessment and make a few adjustments, and the last time, several months later, to step back and take stock. In this particular case, the director and HR manager were unanimous in their view that the new manager had developed an appropriate attitude towards his team. This last stage therefore enabled the manager to obtain precise and, in this case, motivating feedback from his superiors. He felt valued and in his place. In all humility and transparency, he said that, without this coaching, he would certainly have made mistakes in his managerial posture, which would have had negative impacts, both from a human and economic point of view.

Contact us

Whether you have a collaborator in your company who is taking on a management role for the very first time, an experienced manager arriving from outside, or an internal change of position, onboarding coaching is the right solution. Onboarding coaching enables you to take a step back, assess the situation and the issues at stake, and ultimately identify and implement practical and coherent solutions. The coach is present at every stage, challenging and stimulating, and can share his experience and expertise.

If you are interested in this solution and would like to undertake such a process with one of our professional and experienced coaches, please contact us.

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