Table of Contents

• Hello

• Onboarding Internal Promotions

• And on that note… a timely new offering

• 1% Solutions

• Things I’m Reading

Hello

Dear gentle reader…the month of June has produced some top notch television, and there’s more to come. For me, this means binging Bridgerton, House of Dragons, the Bear (also, why is beehiiv telling me I miswrote Bridgerton?!) Yes, this reflects the odd and eclectic span of my TV taste. But between these three is also a masterclass in leadership, strategy, succession planning and change management. I have some notes for future issues but for now, so stay tuned as to what pop culture references make their way into the newsletter. And feel free to email me your own connections in the meantime!

June has also been an eclectic month in terms of the work I’ve been doing.

• I’m developing talent strategy for an org that has a new and really inspiring strategic plan.

• I’ve started an audit for a small nonprofit shaping its organizational policies

• I’m working with a growing org to reimagine recruitment and marketing as they grow

• I’m leading a workshop for a group of oral surgeons who own their own practice on attracting, hiring and retaining their teams

The above may seem chaotic but the keys to change management and culture remain the same across industries (with some nuance, of course). last few weeks, I’ve been really fortunate in these last few weeks to do the work I love and have such a variety of experiences (one of the main reasons I launched my consultancy).

Onboarding Internal Promotions

Onboarding in general needs a revamp but the biggest gap I've often seen in organizations is the lack of support and clarity after an internal promotion. I’ve been thinking about this even more, since this is typically the time when new promotions in schools and charter management orgs go into affect. Not only this, but this shift happens right as we enter summer- a time when normally teams are even more disjointed due to well-earned vacations and PTO.

As opposed to externally hired managers and leaders, internal folks often get no discrete onboarding time. This can mean that sometimes these promotions feel simply like extra work being added rather than a shift in decision-making and deliverables- this is especially true in my experience where there's a title change (e.g. Director of HR --> Senior Director of HR) as opposed to when a person moves teams. And because this person is (usually) a higher performer at their current role (or at least from senior leaders' vantage point), there's an assumption that they'll continue performing- even if the role is different or their strengths are ones that don't directly translate to the new role. And we all know, being an individual contributor is different than managing others, and managing a few folks is very different than managing an entire team.

Based on my experience, there are a few key ways leaders can support their newly promoted managers. This is specifically written for folks who are assuming their first significant leadership role (e.g. managing a team or larger workflow) rather than a senior leader, though you may find some steps translate. Why does this matter?

• Because 70% of a team's engagement can be attributed to manager variance

• Because midlevel managers are the link between strategy and successful execution, and investing time here is doing the work

• Because the broken rung for women and people of color is well documented, and this type of support can help to at least partially mend it

• Because you promoted this person for a reason and owe them a strong start

Below are some of the steps I've learned, coached others to do, or (truthfully) wish I had done over the last 15 years of leadership. The below isn't meant to be exhaustive but a starting point to what should be an ongoing conversation.

• Have the person self-evaluate using your leadership competencies or evaluation tools (If you don't have one, may I suggest this Strategic Leadership Framework from EdFuel- even if you are not in ed, a lot of this translates).

• If you can do a 360, do so. If time or money doesn't allow, I've seen folks use an anonymous google survey to ask two questions: What are my superpowers? What are 1-2 things that if improved would have the most significant impact on my work?

• You should also evaluate them, using the same eval tool. It is important here to give examples and discuss how you see their strengths and gap areas translating into their new work. For example, someone with strong organizational skills should be pushed to think about how they will balance being organized with empowering others, delegating and bringing people along.

• Discuss the strengths and areas to develop, and support them in creating a prioritized list of areas to address.

• Identify key leaders in the org who have strengths that overlap with their area of development and have them shadow these leaders. Also- the key to good shadowing is having key areas to focus on and noting concrete actions the leader takes. I'd suggest using the area noted above, and identifying a few concrete "Look-fors" to observe. Be sure to review this with them before and after, assuming a coach's stance.

• Help them to create a 30-60-90 plan for themselves. This is especially true if they are taking on a new workflow or team. How do they intend to diagnose strengths and gaps? How will they get to know the different stakeholders? remember even if they know the people on their team or those they'll collaborate with, they are entering a new relationship with this promotion. Don't skimp on these meetings. (if you don’t have a good template, just email me)

• Are there targeted trainings on the skills or knowledge they may need in their new role? These do not need to be expensive off-site workshops. For example, when I knew I was taking on the recruitment team, I spent some time doing online courses on marketing to get a more strategic stance on how to position my organization and develop employer brand.

• Finally, what key access or documents do they need to get up to speed? Think about list serves they should be added to, standard operating procedures that they need to review or HR manuals/guidelines for managers.

If the above seems too much or too time-intensive, I get that. In that case, I'd suggest two things. First, think of each step as 30 minutes- which means you are investing about 3-4 hours to set someone up for success for a year or more. That investment seems reasonable given its returns.

But also- I know some leaders are truly underwater. If that time can't be spared, is there someone else that can support, e.g. an internal leadership development staff member, a peer in a similar role or an externally hired coach? This doesn't need to be expensive.

I'm pretty passionate about leadership development and midlevel leader training - it's what brought me to the talent space in the first place. It's a strategy, sustainability and equity issue all rolled into one, and is likely the best investment of your time.

And on that note… a timely new offering

Summer is an interesting time for schools and charter management organizations because we are onboarding new leaders while everyone is also trying to take time to restore. Add in the numerous challenges facing schools in this moment and there is a lot happening without the guidance or support that may be needed. This is doubly compounded if you have not yet backfilled a leadership role in the organization.

During these times, often you just need a strategic thought partner and subject matter expert to work through the details. This is why I’m introducing the summer strategic supports. These are quick 1 hour to 1 day engagements to help you focus your thinking, flesh out details and set clear next steps. You can directly email me here to set up time to talk or find time here.

(This offering is open to other organizations as well- it’s just specifically appropriate for those in summer planning mode!)

1% Solutions

• Keep a list of your silver medal candidates- Chances are, you have at least a few folks who you weren’t able to hire (but still could be great in another role). Make sure you keep this list. Add them to your newsletter. Offer to connect with them on LinkedIn. Part of recruiting is staying ready by building your network.

• Establishing the why and criteria for success for standard operating procedures- One reason that onboarding folks is so challenging is sometimes so little is codified or when it is, it’s not done well. I’m hoping you’ve started to document your standard operating procedures to help codify institutional knowledge (especially if you are in a school system or district losing staff due to the ESSER cliff). Now, take it one step further by making sure you’ve listed the purpose of the system, the criteria for success and the non-negotiables/bottom lines. People- and especially Gen Z- need to understand the purpose of something that they are doing. The other benefit is that when they know WHY they are doing something and the criteria for success, they are better equipped to raise concerns to you- which in turn means you have additional safeguards.

Things I’m Reading

• AI is Going to Disrupt the Labor Market But It Doesn’t Have to Destroy It- there is a lot of talk about how AI will impact the future of work without also discussing the opportunities that currently exist to bend the trajectory in different ways. This article lays out both tangible and systemic ideas to mitigate the negative impact on the workforce.

• The Friction Project- As a founder and startup leader, I have had to consistently do more with less (and coach others to do so). While it would be great to be well resourced, it’s also true that we too often sleep on systemic ways to shape org culture. This book is “the definitive guide to eliminating the forces that make it harder, more complicated or impossible to get things done in organizations.” No time for the book? You can listen to the authors on this episode of HBR Ideacast

• Talent and HR Policies- I started working with a new client (small nonprofit that does incredible research work), and one thing we are doing is auditing their current policies. This guide by EdFuel has been super helpful as we work to build out human-centered talent processes. I especially appreciate the section that discusses how to build policies through an equity and antiracist lens.

If you enjoyed this issue, please consider sharing it with friends and colleagues! I’d love to reach more folks.