Congratulations, you’ve been promoted to a top senior executive job! You’re a first-time CEO or President or VP or Chairman. Now what? What should you be doing with your time? How should you organize yourself? What executive tasks should you be paying attention to? What strategies matter most? Where do you begin? Below are a few wonderful resources that answer these questions as well as the ones you don’t yet know to ask. Here’s how to get up to speed quickly while you’re interviewing executive coaches – because onboarding to a new executive role is largely about how quickly you can build trust, navigate the political landscape, and demonstrate quick wins. Executive coaches help you customize the roadmap that will allow you to succeed quickly while supporting you during the high stress and overwhelm of acclimating to your new role.
- Start with a listening tour.
- Map out the relationships that matter most: who are the influencers and key players?
- Discover how information moves in the organization.
- Expand what you know about the culture and how to navigate the politics.
- Identify who you can trust.
- Socialize your strategy for early wins to ensure alignment.
- Demonstrate results and communicate them appropriately.
Books to consider:
- The Next Level by Scott Eblin https://amzn.to/2vKWJeB
- Executive Intelligence by Justin Menkes https://amzn.to/2KPh07r
- Your First 100 Days in a New Executive Job by Robert Hargrove: https://amzn.to/2P9ES9m
- You’re in Charge – Now What by Neff and Citrin: https://amzn.to/2nCeuZ1
- What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith: https://amzn.to/2vJo8gX
Articles:
- Blog post by Scott Eblin on Questions to Ask: https://eblingroup.com/blog/five-questions-to-ask-about-the-top-job/
- Harvard Business Review article on Senior Executive roles: https://hbr.org/1995/11/getting-it-done-new-roles-for-senior-executives
- Harvard Business Review article on Onboarding https://hbr.org/2017/05/onboarding-isnt-enough
- Forbes article on a New Leader’s Guide to the First 90 Days https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecomaford/2012/08/06/sink-or-swim-a-new-leaders-guide-to-the-first-90-days/#10e28ee56200
- Harvard Business Review article on top CEO behaviors for success: https://hbr.org/2017/05/what-sets-successful-ceos-apart