What advice would you give to someone who is about to become an Exec?

Freefaller

Freefaller

Freefaller

Man of Honour
Joined
5 Jun 2003
Posts
91,545
Location
Falling...
For context this is not for me - however, I am related to this person and want to try and offer impartial advice as possible.

I've told them that they were hired because they're clearly capable and suitable for the role - so to go in with that confidence. Clearly there's always a bit of imposter syndrome when you achieve your first senior role, or exec position. At least throughout my career during every promotion I've felt that way.

I've told them the following:

  • managing your relationships are the most important thing
    • staff (direct reports and non reports)
    • peers
    • external clients
    • internal stakeholders
  • Probably have to be less "close" to individuals and add larger boundaries than previous roles, at least until they establish themselves. I say this because I don't want them to fall down the route of favouritism.
  • Be accessible
  • Be accountable
  • Become absolutely conversant on their remit, roles and responsibilities and their deliverables.
    • don't BS and pretend you know, be sure of what you know and if you don't know something make sure that you can support the questions
    • Spend the first few months fact finding, and painting the landscape in which you operate and how your peers operate and how you interface with them
  • Learn about the your peers on the board but also what their deliverables are, and how you can collaborate to ensure effective delivery of your targets / goals.
  • Don't forget to reflect, and even ask for feedback - but make sure you don't ask for validation, you've got the job, showcase what you're delivering and against what targets.
    • Qualify and quantify your work
    • Make sure your objectives are aligned with your team's objectives - means you're all pulling in the same direction

However this feels fairly generic, common sense to me and I didn't really what else to offer as it's been a while since I've been in that "new" role. For those of you that are execs (or even those that aren't) do you have any other words of wisdom? This person is quite young (39) so this is quite a significant role, but I don't want them to go in half cocked, or feel overwhelmed.

I've already put them in touch with my mentor, as I want them to have unbiased support - but I know there's a lot of highly experienced people here who have been through it.
 
Always keep learning.

About everything happening under you, you might not need to absolute finite details of every aspect, but having a broad knowledge of what is happening, and why, where problems may occur, why, how they can be overcome, where they will effect deliverables etc.

The more you know about the people working under you and the job they perform, the better you will understand the overview of what is happening.

Look at Elon Musk, when deadlines or problems occur, hes there, in person on the factory floor helping out.
 
turbot1984 said:
might help if you are clearer on what the job is, 'exec' can have a very wide meaning, CEO, account exec, sales exec, hollywood exec, the list goes on.
Click to expand...

He'll be on a board of a reasonably large technology company specialising in software / sensors for the construction industry in particular asset owners etc...

He'll be like a CTO (though they have a CTO already), but with a more specific role on his expertise in the R&D space and practical experience of deploying the technology - I think his title is officially R&D, Technology Strategy Director (I may be wrong!). He will be sitting on the board, i.e. running the business with his peers.
 
If he is like a CTO...but not the CTO...boundaries are important in terms of what is done and who gets to make the decisions.... Sounds like he is not 'quite' there in terms of how you describe it and thus relationship management critical to make sure he is considered a true peer rather than someone who ends up liaising with management etc.

He should know who to know and who to blow, both in terms of immediate circle but also the hierarchical (both real and the reality).

His instinct obviously has gotten him a goodly way assuming he has good experience etc. So he shouldn't be afraid to trust this to an extent. Main thing is the usual juggling act of watching to get a lay of the land but still be seem to be involved.

If he is 39 I don't think he should consider himself too young, that would has moved on. If he is, subtle things like having slightly greyer hair, dress style goes a long way....

I think your original advice is sound but hard to absorb in day to day life. He needs confidence in himself and to really take himself in hand with regular milestones (personal to him!) and reviews.

Sounds like a good adventure for him! :)
 
First and foremost for me - Look after yourself....As no one else will.....

If you can't look after your own wellbeing/mentally/physically etc - You can't look after a team of people/stakeholders/projects etc etc

Seen too many people take on senior roles and smash the hours in etc - but within 6/9/12 months they look like they've aged 10 years.

Looking after number 1 (youself) is the biggest thing I can suggest. Don't loose sight of what got you there and how you got there.
 
It is a good adventure for him and I'm very, very excited. However, he does feel quite a significant bit of imposter syndrome but I suppose that's true of any new role. I like the fact that you mentioned looking after number one. You're right, that is a very, very important role in something I will make sure that I pass on because there's no point in burning yourself out because then you can't look after your team and you're no good to anybody.

As for the job crossover with the CTO, he's come back to me and said that the roles are very close overlaps but his role is very much focused on the innovation, Future planning r&d side of things rather than deploying the technology working with the developers and the sensor engineers and well that sort of stuff.

Though there is a link and his link will be to bring new SMEs startups, new technologies, opportunities, collaborations, and work with the CTO to make that happen to expand their portfolio. He has a background in venture capital and brings with him that network so he'll be seeking to fund and get things off the ground and market accelerate things for this particular business. So it is quite different and that's where the crossover with the CFO comes in. So I think the fact that he's on the board with a slightly different but very specific job role shouldn't create too many issues with the CTO or the CFO, but definitely an opportunity for them to work closely together. And I think if you build that bond with those people then it'll establish him very very quickly. His team is quite small. I think he only manages 12 people, but that's good enough and plenty of scope to develop and add value to the business.

I felt that my advice was someone generic and I think you're right. He will need a few months just to settle in and I've told him to make sure that the CEO is clear that he will need a few months to settle in and understand the business, get under the skin and get to know the key players. I told him to just set out a very lightweight plan that he can go back in a few months time and say this is what I've done, but I've also done this on top of that. I think if he does that well it'll buy him some confidence and then he can crack on with doing what he's good at.

Thanks for letting me air my thoughts and just thrashing it out. Always good to hear another point of view.
 
So I’ve been essentially “middle” management in a company that has over 350 c level (and 380,000 staff) .. worked with both normal c level and group c level. That includes essentially CIO and CTO roles with 70 staff for a project and multiple projects. Accountable for budget, staff, development and operations year on year - along with the vendor contracts, risk and security.. buck stopped here.

Your going to be self reliant on getting stuff done. Expect a picture to be painted then your role to solve everything between.
The first days are:
* what **** needs doing immediately?
* what needs to be planned onto my schedule. How is my work integrating with other c-level. Any KPIs they have etc.
* how do you get stuff done - make those internal connections as the new guy. Understand the internal process steps, financial operation and who controls. Also who does the events and coms. This is imperative!
* also check if you have a share of the CTO personal assistant to help. Do your own work but the network of PAs is a smart way to find who you should talk to.
* the golden rule for C-level - if something has got to c-level then it’s demanding an immediate action or response. A CEO is going to be expecting you will know everything they are doing and align your comms to them accordingly. The rest of the work is on your remit. A large c-level and you will have a chief of staff (plus office of CoS) that funnel information into the CEO.
Usually you’ll not know of a CEO 90 or 180 until they’re in the middle of a customer or investor pitch..
strategy and innovation - understand who and what processes exist for external comms such as talking at events and being recognised as a thought leader in the space your in. Self PR is good but use the role todo it and don’t be the the really annoying dude that steals everyone’s ideas as their own.

People working - well that depends on team sizes. Just remember exec is fast problem solving, that includes people performance. If a problem got to me it was beyond the HR performance improvement and an “exit individual” and find someone to solve the role hole.

Everyone suffers imposter syndrome. I figured out managing 90+ staff and had enough time to blitz the group chief architect and a group CIO with the first quantum implementations ;) ended up driving the innovation piece side of desk. Also invited to mentor intake for grads within the CIO leadership accelerator.
Day job role made redundant (yep crap still happens) I as already booked on a leadership course.. went along and immediately got confirmation that what I’d sussed and the way I’d worked out how to work was precisely “correct”.
It’s funny when you get people picking your brains.
When you get to large scale people management - walk along side, build and maintain frameworks, and grow the people (weed out if need be) whilst solving the problems they have.

Be accessible. Innovation is about the hustle - innovation requires a business case and funding.. so that’s may be in he yearly budget; it may be an investment item on the board list as R&D, or it may require you to get jiggy - build a joint academic/commercial grant proposal from the EU or UK govs..
I’ve had plenty of experience with c-level wanting to innovate but no budget :) yet you’re expected to deliver.. thinking outside of the box, and talking ownership (of everyone’s poop) is just part of the average day.

One final point - slow the body movements, be precise and concise. People will respond to you given your title. .. and listen.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Nick! Invaluable advice and reflects a lot of my experience but actually is good to have it repeated and clarified from a different perspective. He starts next week I know he'll do well, he's got a good head on his shoulders. I'll be sure to share this.
 
One piece of advice....you are not expected to know everything....but you will be expected to appear as if you do, so don't ask dumb questions in public spaces. If you're not sure on something, ask someone in private.
 
mid_gen said:
One piece of advice....you are not expected to know everything....but you will be expected to appear as if you do, so don't ask dumb questions in public spaces. If you're not sure on something, ask someone in private.
Click to expand...

As a consultant or sme I have to know more than the room on a certain topic (or at least make it appear that way). I often find it's the CXO level people that are usually the ones that will ask the dumb questions as they are not expected to know the details and no one else will ask them as they don't want to look stupid in front of the CXO.
 
Last edited:
Orangeade said:
Any update you would like to share? Head still above water?
Click to expand...

Hi - sorry don't check the forums much these days.

Yes, he's getting on ok.

Some things he's had to discover - there's a lot more contractual / legal elements to being on the board that he had initially appreciated. Things like shares and stuff like that was quite new to him too.

He's made a great relationship with the CTO where their roles sort of cross over but interface critically, that was the first thing he did and it's really helped him. They've never really had a dedicated R&D person from a strategic element (horizon scanning etc...) so he's got a bit of a blank piece of paper to make his rules and his domain. He's a bit of a creative / strategy type of person so isn't shy of asking questions so I'm sure he'll have fun. He did phone me after the first week and basically said "holy **** there's so much going on, I'm lost!". However he's now about 1.5months in and doesn't seem to be quite as nervous as he was.

The rest of the board all said the same thing to a similar extent "don't try and deliver anything in the first 3-6 months, for the sake of marking your territory". Get to know the business, and feel what the gaps are and what you're able to bring to the business to plug the gaps that we may have and enhance what we're already doing.

He's very outgoing and confident person anyway and has spent the first month visiting all the areas that he'll be managing but also the areas he won't be, as well as making sure he got a feel for the broader area of the business. I think his next step is understanding the existing clients and technologies and their roadmaps (I'm due a catch up with him soon).

One thing he's said he's noticed, is that people are more willing to do things for him now because he's on the board. Hes' been a director before and senior manager for a while, but it seems to certainly pull a lot more influence just having that title.

This is all 3rd party info so I can't really expand much more than that other than text messages / linkedin posts.

But so far so good - your advice was certainly passed on and I'm sure he's taken it all on board.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom