We live in a rapidly changing world in which the political and economic outlook for the next 12 months is very unclear.
In this unstable commercial environment, uncertainty about the future feeds a growing sense of urgency in the here and now.
As a result, judgments are made much more quickly. This means that a senior manager’s achievements in their first 100 days of taking on a new position are routinely seen as an indication of their future leadership potential. It also means that swift delivery on goals and an immediate return on investment are more essential than ever.
Newly-appointed HR directors face some unique challenges during their first 100 days. But although the role is of great strategic importance within the organisation, too many HR directors undervalue their position.
This implies that greater levels of assertiveness and a shift in thinking are required. Therefore, HR directors must evaluate themselves, their role and their function – and importantly, start to think of themselves as leaders.
An intelligent plan
Being able to make a smooth transition tends to be an underestimated leadership skill, however. Most appointees experience a heady mix of emotions during their first 100 days in a fresh job – anticipation, excitement, anxiety and stress.
As a result, the potential for making blunders is great. The problem is that early mistakes can have a lasting and negative effect. Undoubtedly, there will be challenges during the early days of any new appointment, but being able to anticipate and understand what they are likely to be will help you to avoid becoming derailed.
Constant time-pressures and a steep learning curve are facts of working life for a newly-promoted HR director and it will take patience to get up to speed on the content of your new role.
If the promotion was a big step up, you will also have to learn a lot from your mistakes in a short space of time while a large number of people watch you expectantly. Business and the markets likewise won’t slow down to let you catch up.
But if you face up to this reality from the start and create an intelligent plan that anticipates likely difficulties, you will be as prepared for the unexpected as it’s possible to be. This means that, when difficulties arise, you’ll be in a better position to tackle them. Here are some common challenges and how to deal with them:
1. Becoming too caught up in firefighting and task-driven priorities
It is tempting to fall into the trap of diving straight into sorting out immediate issues and tasks– not least simply to look as if you’re doing something constructive.
But having the strength of character to step back and take a more holistic view tends to be more effective. Start with the end goal in mind and critically assess which tasks should be started, which should be continued, and which should to be terminated.
2. Having difficulty detaching yourself from your previous role
Starting a new job inevitably means leaving your comfort zone. For new appointees who may have spent years establishing a reputation in their previous organisation, there can be a tendency to refer back to the glory days and the old ways of “getting things done”. But such indulgence is a waste of valuable time.
As an internal appointee, meanwhile, you may well be forced to straddle two roles until a suitable replacement is found. But in order to perform effectively, it is crucial to detach yourself from your previous role, and former employer, as quickly and cleanly as possible and focus on the new one.
3. Getting the balance right between acting too quickly and too slowly
Panic and an awareness of the watchful eye of others can push any new HR director into making hasty decisions. To avoid this situation, it is imperative to focus on the core issues. Prioritise your goals and establish a clear link between aims and objectives, actions and outcomes in order to avoid taking a scattergun approach.
4. Failing to make tough personnel decisions about an inherited team
Reluctance to fire or reshuffle members of an inherited team is a critical mistake. Failure to make tough personnel decisions is damaging – and more so during the first 100 days than at any other time.
It is vital to critically assess the quality of your team and spot people who are not net contributors, that is, those who ‘consume’ more than they ‘contribute’. Communicate with them openly and constructively – but if this approach does not work, the only real solution may be to let them go.
The team should be given a chance but, ultimately, you must have the right people in the right roles.
What is a leader?
The simplest and clearest definition of what constitutes a ‘leader’ is that they set a clear direction, are able to bring people along with them and deliver results. But true leaders have always been, and remain, rare. Instead most HR directors, business executives and chief executives are professional managers rather than leaders.
As a result, they rely on the power and authority invested in their role to get things done but limit their sphere of activity to organising and marshalling resources in service of a task that is passed to them by someone else.
But such behaviour is that of a manager – a follower – rather than a leader. In order to lead, it is necessary to take the initiative. A first 100 days plan can help here.
But such a plan must comprise more than the usual to-do list or set of key themes to be addressed. It is instead a document that outlines the parameters and goals that define your role, based on a wide-ranging profile of the organisation and the market in which it operates.
Next month, we will share best practice advice on how to write such a plan.
Niamh O’Keeffe is founder and managing director of leadership and performance acceleration consultancy, First100.
