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

[Freefaller]

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.

 

[Freefaller]

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.

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.

 

[Freefaller]

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.

 

[Freefaller]

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.

 

[Freefaller]

Any update you would like to share? Head still above water?

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.