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By Ron Elsdon

It can be daunting to join a new organization because today's demanding work world provides little time to adapt. For example, an executive was struggling three months into a new job. The organization decided to let him go, even though he had moved his family, been given a $50,000 signing bonus, and would need to be compensated for a return move. A costly exercise for the organization and a traumatic one for the person and his family.

What steps can you take to quickly assimilate into a new situation and avoid this kind of problem? Here are some suggestions drawing on my own experience and ideas from a 2001 Harvard Business School note (Michael Watkins, Seven Rules for New Leaders) and Right from the Start by Watkins and Ciampa.

Be clear about your own aspirations and the kind of organization or team you are seeking, before accepting an offer. This means knowing yourself well, your personality preferences, interests, values, and the skills you would like to use at this point in your life. For instance, if one of your primary values is collaboration, joining an organization that focuses on internal Darwinian competition won't work. During interviews, probe for examples that take you below the surface of the organization to what is really going on. Examine aspects of leadership style, workforce relationships, strategic focus, pace, and organizational flexibility.

Build clarity and communicate the purpose and direction you seek for the organization or team. Studies have shown a direct relationship between the ability of leaders to create a sense of inspiring purpose and the strength of affiliation people feel with the organization. This in turn is directly linked to productivity.

Establish a personal action plan for the first 30, 60, 90 and 180 days. Define objectives and activities for each phase of your transition. Review this with your boss, peers, and direct reports to gather their input, build consensus, and communicate your progress and learning. Be ready to adjust your focus over time as you learn, get clearer direction, contribute to operational success, and build coalitions.

Recognize common traps that can derail your entry. Beware of the following five areas that often derail new executives.

• Trap #1: Isolating yourself by focusing on quantitative analyses to the exclusion of relationships. For example, one senior executive had an effective though hard-driving style that generated bottom-line results but did not take into account the importance of establishing strong relationships. When he joined a family-owned enterprise, we talked about the critical importance of building relationships with the family in the early stages. The time he spent doing this built excellent rapport and mutual respect, which enabled him to implement several key steps to ensure early success.

• Trap #2: Coming in with "The Answer." I recall a recent incident where a senior manager assumed responsibility for a new area, did not listen, promptly made incorrect assumptions about the critical issues, alienated the staff, and made poor hiring decisions. Not surprisingly, the new manager was rapidly demoted.

• Trap #3: Attempting too much. The challenge is to prioritize so the organization or team is clear about direction. Manage your time portfolio to balance the important and the urgent, the short and the long term, and securing early wins while building a foundation for long-term success.

• Trap #4: Being captured by the wrong people. In joining a new organization or team, it can be difficult to understand the social and political dynamics. Spend time before and after entry listening as broadly as possible within and outside the organization. Target your learning to address the strategic, interpersonal, technical, cultural, and political aspects of your new position. Keep many lines of communication open so you can access diverse perspectives on the organization.

• Trap #5: Coming into unrealistic expectations. When entering a new organization or team, it is important to assess whether the initial mandate is realistic or whether changes are needed.

As you integrate into a new role, be sure to include those people who are important in your life and allow time for reflection. By taking these steps and avoiding the common traps, you can accelerate the transition into your new role, helping ensure your fulfillment and success and the success of those around you.

Ron Elsdon, Ph.D. (www.elsdon.com) is a founder of Elsdon Organizational Renewal and New Beginnings Career and College Guidance, specializing in career and workforce development. He is author of Affiliation in the Workplace: Value Creation in the New Organization (Praeger, 2003) and can be reached by e-mail at renewal@elsdon.com.

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