Dear Madeleine,
I am the president of a region for a global financial services firm. I have been in the role for about a year. I felt prepared, and I am settling into the job. I have had a lot of leadership training over the years, but I find myself at a loss about how to handle a new situation.
A senior leader who reports to me was hired from outside to fill the role I vacated. This was after an internal person who initially was promoted into the job moved to another region because his wife was transferred.
The new guy came highly recommended and has been in the role for eight months. It felt like a real coup at the time. He had been a VP at his previous job, so I really thought he would come in with some skills.
I just can’t seem to get what I need from him. He talks a good game, is passionate about building the culture, and has built very good relationships with his team and with my peers. However, he has not built credibility with his peers.
He starts a lot of things with great fanfare but does not follow through. I have asked for specific reports—ones I used to generate and for which I created the data gathering systems—and I keep getting excuses for why they are not forthcoming.
The last I heard, he had a great idea for how to upgrade the whole system to get more granular data, even as I argued that more granular data isn’t needed. He seems to think he needs to fix everything, which would be fine if anyone thought things were broken (nobody does) or if he actually knew how to upgrade things effectively and efficiently.
At every one-on-one meeting he is excited about a new idea, a new project, or a brainstorm he’s had. I feel like a downer always asking for updates on all of the critical tasks that seem to be left undone or not even started. I now sound like a broken record, continuously asking for the list of things he has promised and not delivered.
He is a very nice guy—super appealing and friendly. Everybody, myself included, really likes him. He has made friends here and I am worried that if I have to let him go it is going to make me very unpopular.
Please tell me if you see things differently. I just don’t think at his level of seniority—and the whopping salary—that it is my job to hold his feet to the fire to make him accountable. I am ready to move to an ultimatum, but I thought you might suggest an angle I could be missing.
High Expectations
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Dear High Expectations,
Disappointment feels awful and it can cloud your thinking, so you are right to take a step back. You did have some expectations: that your replacement behave like you and do things the way you did them, and that the role of VP at his old job is the same as in your organization. The big question is, how clear did you make your expectations from the get-go?
It sounds like your new guy (NG) thinks his job is to make friends and be super creative and inspirational. He might have simply missed your expectation that he needs to get things done. You might think it is obvious, and I would agree. But if I have learned anything coaching hundreds of executives over the decades, it is that nothing is obvious, ever. Most leaders (and you may be among them) expect their people to be just like them—or, failing that, to read their minds. This begs the next question: to what extent is that true for you? And if it is true, how might you rectify it?
At Blanchard, we focus on helping functional leaders achieve agreed-upon outcomes by:
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- keeping the vision top of mind and the goals crystal clear,
- managing results across teams,
- partnering across silos,
- inspiring change and innovation, and
- developing future leaders.
I am not saying this is the truth; I’m just sharing to give you some sense of what is generally expected of someone in NG’s role in most large organizations. Here’s a typical depiction.
It sounds like NG’s default is to inspire change and innovation, but he is falling short of the rest of the job.
If this list does not accurately reflect what is true for you and your company, by all means add and delete at your discretion. But make sure the list is comprehensive before you share it with NG. The rule of thumb with new employees is to start off with close supervision until you see ample evidence that supervision is no longer required. You are learning the hard way that it is much harder to tighten up after an employee has had a lot of freedom.
You might consider calling a reset meeting with NG. Take responsibility for getting off on the wrong foot in terms of being crystal clear about your expectations—then share exactly what those are.
In our SLII® program, we teach that managers must paint the picture of a job well done. Then they must give clear direction and proper support as the employee moves through predictable development levels to become a self-reliant achiever. Yes, you should expect someone at NG’s level to catch on quickly and apply transferable skills, but since he has never held the VP position in your organization and he has never worked for you, it is unfair to expect him to know exactly how to crush it in his role.
As you paint this picture of how NG will win in this role, you might ask yourself these questions:
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- Are NG’s goals clear and compelling?
- Have I shared which targets and milestones I hope to see, and by when?
- Are there any examples I can share?
- Are there some possible mentors or high performers that NG can observe or learn from?
- Are there specific dos and don’ts you need to share?
- What is NG’s motivation to comply with your requests?
You can certainly acknowledge anything NG is already doing well and encourage him to keep those things up. You can also work with him to document and check in on his progress on each goal or task, so nothing gets forgotten.
Only once you have made yourself crystal clear will you know if an ultimatum is called for. I estimate that in six months you will have a solid sense of NG’s ability to rise and meet your expectations. And you will know without a shadow of a doubt that you did everything in your power to ensure his success.
It won’t be fun, but it will be instructive.
Love, Madeleine
About Madeleine
Madeleine Homan Blanchard is a master certified coach, author, speaker, and cofounder of Blanchard Coaching Services as well as a key facilitator of Blanchard’s Leadership Coach Certification course. Madeleine’s Advice for the Well Intentioned Manager is a regular Saturday feature for a very select group: well intentioned managers. Leadership is hard—and the more you care, the harder it gets. Join us here each week for insight, resources, and conversation.
Got a question for Madeleine? Email Madeleine and look for your response soon. Please be advised that although she will do her best, Madeleine cannot respond to each letter personally. Letters will be edited for clarity and length.
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