Top 7 Executive Onboarding Mistakes Most Newcomers Make
Executive onboarding and mistakes. Two things that shouldn’t go together.
Unfortunately, they do and it’s most of the time.
It’s understandable. Being a new executive is daunting – there's a lot to learn and navigate, and they’re expected to hit the ground running. The good news is they can get a running start on executive onboarding. The bad news is they can run right into a landmine with explosive repercussions.
These landmines have taken out too many new-to-role executives before their time. That’s exactly why we created this list of mistakes—so any landmines can be identified and disarmed.
This isn’t the entire gamut of failure, but most executive onboarding mistakes fall in step with what we’ve detailed below. Think of this article as a highlight (or blooper) reel. Watch, learn, and move smoothly past the opposition.
Good luck!
Mistake #1: Holding on tightly to the 100-Day Plan
Don’t just ease the grip. Let the 100-Day plan go—completely. This idea may seem unorthodox or counterintuitive to executive onboarding, but it works!
Here’s why we recommend it.
A detailed, actionable plan isn’t possible before they start in the role. New-to-role executives don’t know all the important information yet about your position, charter, team, and culture.
Overplanning before all the facts are in will only bring more problems. Also, let’s be honest. A 100-day plan has never guaranteed success. Results with minimal noise do.
Instead of overplanning and overpromising before you’ve even begun, spend 90 days listening, learning, and assessing. Conduct interviews and build relationships. Then spend 10 days circling back to your direct reports about what you know.
It’s not a plan to implement. It’s an assessment of priorities.
Mistake #2: Thinking they have a lot to prove
This mistake is where the ego rears its ugly head in executive onboarding.
A new-to-role executive’s fear of failure and desire to dispel doubt kicks into high gear. In a nutshell, they overcompensate to ill effect.
That’s natural. They want to prove their capability, but it most often turns into something like this.
Talking too much about past accomplishments or work situations
Name-dropping
Using big words unnecessarily
Being overcritical of practically all they see
Being arrogant, inaccessible, and unrelatable
Paints a picture, doesn’t it? It’s easy to spot this in others. No one likes someone (let alone a person in leadership) who is like this.
This attitude (intentional or not) will be met with resistance. Resistance costs in time, stress, lack of support, and even failure. The remedy here is to not try to be the smartest in the room.
Instead, new-to-role executives should let everyone know they are there to learn and ask questions. Their worth will be proven by their work, not by their ability to sound impressive.
Mistake #3: Striving to appear decisive on talent
Being decisive is important. Being thoughtful is more important—especially when it comes to people.
Newcomer executives should give their team a chance and try to salvage the existing talent. Booting out team members right off the bat can alienate the people new leaders need for support, like peers and direct reports.
They should lead with grace and not tolerate poor performance. Many team members will understand that not everyone will make the cut.
If they see a new-to-role executive trying to make the best of their situation and balancing the business result, they are much less likely to feel alienated or hostile.
Mistake #4: Feeling pressure to drive a unique vision
Visions should be shaped by teams, not by one powerful voice (if possible).
This idea assumes that new executives want their team to buy into their vision or agenda. These people are often instrumental in making the vision happen so their perspectives and support are needed.
Without that input, resistance can get in the way and results can never come to fruition.
So, incoming executives, create a collaborative roadmap that establishes priorities and responsibilities that make sense to your team.
They will help with the work and be more invested. This triggers more effort, improved integrity, and better morale.
Bottom line: Make it less about your agenda and more about a shared vision.
Mistake #5: Trying to “always keep ‘em guessing”
Just don’t do this. Trust us.
This is not a “clever power play” or way to “show ‘em who’s boss.”
Keeping roles, responsibilities, expectations, and potential issues a mystery is irresponsible and cruel. It’s an ineffective approach to leadership—new or established.
The team wants to make their leader happy and do good work. They need transparency and clarity for success. Providing them with clear expectations will help improve their work and a make new executive’s life easier.
Having these conversations early on will help lay the groundwork for future success.
Mistake #6: Holding onto bad news for too long
Bad news does not age well. Rip off the band-aid and tell it quickly. It’s easy for newcomer executives to hide missed goals, mixed results, and wasted resources. Don’t conceal. It never ends well.
Keep these truths in mind before concealing unfortunate news.
People expect a learning curve.
It’s about progress, not perfection. Show a genuine effort and a pattern of learning. Change is constant so don’t fight it.
Vulnerability yields trust.
Be honest. Be humble. Admit mistakes. People respect those who can admit when they’ve dropped the ball. At the end of the day, no one appreciates a cover-up.
Mistake #7: Bringing in “the team”
By “the team,” we mean past colleagues of the new-to-role executive.
To clarify, bringing in a past coworker can work. As long as they are qualified and provide more value than just being an “old friend.”
Ask these questions before hiring.
Will past work constantly be referenced?
Will this past colleague fit in with the new team?
Will they provide healthy feedback? (No groupthink. It’s dangerous.)
Finally, hiring a sibling is almost never a good idea.
Ready to avoid these executive onboarding mistakes?
Nearly all new-to-role executives make these mistakes. It doesn’t need to happen.
Instead of being an unfortunate casualty to ego and anxiety, with a little forethought, avoiding making these missteps is entirely possible.
If your company is interested in providing comprehensive executive onboarding assistance and guidance, we offer programs customized to fit the needs of your business and its leaders.
**You’ll find these landmines and many other penetrating insights in Emily’s insightful book, Bombproof. Read two free chapters here.