Handling Issues with the Abrasive New Hire Executive

transcript

Handling Issues with the Abrasive Executive New Hire

Patrick Reilly Resources In Action, Inc. Member Boss Whispering Institute

Tony Deblauwe HR4Change

Presentation for: March 9, 2011 ERE Webinar

Patrick Reilly is President of Resources In Action, Inc., a firm specializing in executive coaching and consulting. He has worked extensively with leaders in the health care, financial services, technology, and utility sectors for more than 25 years, internationally and in the US. His passion is getting leaders into action for success and satisfaction.

Tony Deblauwe is the Founder of consulting firm HR4Change and is a Sr. Human Resources Practitioner for a global technology firm. He has worked in several technology companies managing a variety Human Resources functions for over 15 years. He is an awarding-winning author, app developer, and blogger. He has been quoted in several media sources including TheLadders, CareerBuilder and SmartMoney.

About the Presenters

Based on the Work of Dr. Laura Crawshaw and Tony Deblauwe

Bad Hire Story…

Hiring the Executive Leader: Great Expectations

  Recruiting Objective #1: Hire a competent, driven leader that significantly impacts productivity and competitive advantage.

  Recruiting Objective #2: Hire a leader that inspires people and fits with the culture.

After Hire: Problems Surface

  Early Feedback: Word gets back to staffing team that leader has communication issues.

  Staffing Process Impact: Reports that morale is declining lead to questions about hiring process.

Tools You Will Learn

•  Abrasive Leader Overview

•  TAD Dynamic

•  Staffing Team as Coach

•  Reducing Risk in Hiring Process

Abrasive Boss or Tyrant: Definition

Any individual charged with managerial authority whose interpersonal behavior causes emotional distress to employees sufficient to disrupt personal and organizational functioning.

Impact of Abrasive Bosses

  CCL survey: 74% of successful executives had at least one intolerable boss

  Gallup survey: Main reason people quit

  Absenteeism

  Lowered morale/productivity

  Increased legal actions

  Retaliation: sabotage, homicide

What These Bosses Do

  Overreact   Over control   Threaten   Humiliate   Condescend

Facing Abrasive Bosses: Common Assumptions

  Intent: harm others

  Means: domination

  Behavior: uncontrolled

Abrasive Bosses: Research Findings

  Intent: “do what it takes to get the job done” (they are defending against the threat of being perceived to be incompetent)

  Means: dominate (exert control) through aggression/intimidation or indifference

  Behavior: treatable

Driven to Win: The TAD Dynamic

THREAT DEFENSE ANXIETY

Abrasive Bosses

Management’s Flight Response

  Denial

  Displacement

  Delay

What Can Staffing Do?

Success Requirements: New Hire Leader

  Engage leader immediately following feedback of communication or style conflict.

  Understand differences that might exist with position expectations and reality.

  Talk to the hiring manager to understand why this might be happening.

  Don’t become HR but do show concern with the company’s investment in the right human capital.

Coaching: Make Leader See the Impact of Their Behavior

  Investigate & document reports of distress by co-workers

  Present early feedback of distressed perceptions to abrasive boss

  Don’t get pulled into defensive “fact battles” of “what really happened” or “who’s really at fault” Instead….

Success Requirements: Hiring Manager

  Visibility: Hiring Manager sees the impact of the new hire leader behavior.

  Call to Action: Hiring Manager must protect his/her hiring choice and takes accountability for solutions.

Advantages of Influencing: Everyone Wins

  Staffing team retains credibility by proactively addressing concerns with new hire

  Hiring managers receive support to address concerns and get things back on track

  New hire leader adjusts, achieves balance, or self-selects out

  Groundwork is laid for HR intervention if required

What if the Abrasive New Hire Leader can’t change?

  Risk reduced by early actions of Staffing team   Company is spared further disruption by holding on to a bad hire   Staffing process can be modified for new sourcing

Avoiding Problems: Profiling Tactics

  Ask team related questions   “What would people say about your leadership style?”   “How many people have you promoted in your career?”   “How do you delegate during crisis and rapid change?”

  Ask cross-functional support related questions   “How do you partner effectively with departments not in your immediate control?   “How have you navigated a matrixed environment successfully?”   “What do you do when your project is delayed due to delays in another team?”

  Link recruitment, selection, and onboarding more carefully

  Design and develop a more impactful recruiting program

Questions?

Patrick Reilly Resources in Action, Inc.

510-524-4934 patrick@resourcesinaction.com

www.resourcesinaction.com

Tony Deblauwe HR4Change

tony@hr4change.com 408-840-1000

www.hr4change.com

Handling Issues with the Abrasive New Hire Executive

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