Succeeding in Taking Power
5 September 2008
Read by 1598 persons
Welcome to the Renault School of Wizards.
In business, as in politics, the first hundred days are decisive. "They represent the grace period generally granted to the holder of a new position to prove themselves," explains Jean-Pierre Testa, a consultant at Cegos. A period whose symbolic power is illustrated by recent examples. At the end of 1999, Carlos Ghosn, the current CEO of Renault, then at the helm of the Japanese automaker, presented his "Nissan Revival Plan," one hundred days after taking office. On June 1, 2005, Dominique de Villepin became the new Prime Minister of Jacques Chirac after the victory of the "no" vote in the referendum on the European Constitution. He gave himself "one hundred days to restore confidence in the French," an allusion to the attempt to restore his beloved Napoleon after his exile to the island of Elba in 1815.
Beyond this three-month period, not all is lost, but as far as the confidence and support of teams are concerned - or, conversely, their defiance, disengagement, or even sabotage - things are already largely decided. Gaining initial acceptance, asserting oneself in one's new role, and bringing about concrete improvements are the challenges that the manager must quickly overcome, whether they are newly graduated or a veteran of organizations. Here are some ways to avoid exhausting your right to make mistakes.
Learning to inhabit the role
Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, often professed that if he were given ten hours to cut down a tree, he would spend the first nine sharpening his axe. Managerial translation for the newcomer: do not rush headlong into action, lest you miss the essentials. "This restraint is not always easy, because the manager sometimes arrives in an environment lacking management, where a large number of decisions are pending," explains Denis Reymond, a consultant at Cegos. However, before taking action, the newly promoted person must find satisfactory answers to certain crucial questions: how does the structure work, what does the company expect from me, and according to what criteria will my n+1 evaluate me? "He must analyze and understand his environment in functional and cultural terms in order to quickly position himself within the organization," continues Denis Reymond. The small preparatory investigation can also be for personal reasons. As IT director of a large SME in the south of France, Laurent did not wait to inquire about the method of distributing bonuses and premiums. "I wanted to immediately integrate the company's codes and not be left behind in terms of remuneration or gratification," he explains.
Presenting your program
Alongside the deciphering of his professional environment, the newcomer must quickly review his troops. Objective: to identify the implicit and explicit expectations of his new collaborators, to inventory their motivations, and to "positivize" their aspirations. Appointed commercial director of the Presses Universitaires de France, Christophe Jeancourt-Galignani individually met the members of his sales team a few days after his arrival. "It was a way to reassure them about my skills and my experience in publishing. I told them about my personality in order to establish open and constructive dialogue. I told them what I expected from them. We discussed all the topics that were important to them, from remuneration to internal organization."
"From the first meeting, the manager must indicate his values and beliefs, because his new collaborators are in a state of active waiting, even expectation, and it is important to reassure them," analyzes Jérôme Barrand, professor at Grenoble Ecole de Management and author of the Agile Manager (Dunod). He must specify whether he prefers qualitative or quantitative information, whether he is more in favor of autonomy or close reporting, whether he appreciates collaborators who excel in performance..." The management method to be implemented must be clear to limit surprise effects.
Appointing your "ministers"
Once these first interviews have been conducted, the manager must build his inner circle. Head of marketing and innovation at Slaur (manufacture and export of spirits), Arnaud Lefebvre, upon his appointment, began to "identify the people who would help me weave my web to be as efficient as possible in the job." The selection must be carried out without delay: "I have always strived to quickly identify within my new teams the high-potential and proactive collaborators, as opposed to the passive ones and those who block projects," emphasizes Eric Bigotte, CEO of Axilone, a company specializing in luxury packaging. Without losing sight of the overall project: "To unite everyone around the medium- and long-term plan that must emerge after the hundred days." The same early assessment of potential was undertaken by Pascal Capuano, business manager at Phonesec, an Aix-en-Provence company specializing in telecom security. But he remains wary of definitive judgments: "It must be remembered that today's allies will not necessarily be those of tomorrow, and that those who represent a hindrance may be valuable later." Subtlety and flexibility are therefore required.
Eric Delon
Posted on September 5, 2008
lexpansion.com
In business, as in politics, the first hundred days are decisive. "They represent the grace period generally granted to the holder of a new position to prove themselves," explains Jean-Pierre Testa, a consultant at Cegos. A period whose symbolic power is illustrated by recent examples. At the end of 1999, Carlos Ghosn, the current CEO of Renault, then at the helm of the Japanese automaker, presented his "Nissan Revival Plan," one hundred days after taking office. On June 1, 2005, Dominique de Villepin became the new Prime Minister of Jacques Chirac after the victory of the "no" vote in the referendum on the European Constitution. He gave himself "one hundred days to restore confidence in the French," an allusion to the attempt to restore his beloved Napoleon after his exile to the island of Elba in 1815.
Beyond this three-month period, not all is lost, but as far as the confidence and support of teams are concerned - or, conversely, their defiance, disengagement, or even sabotage - things are already largely decided. Gaining initial acceptance, asserting oneself in one's new role, and bringing about concrete improvements are the challenges that the manager must quickly overcome, whether they are newly graduated or a veteran of organizations. Here are some ways to avoid exhausting your right to make mistakes.
Learning to inhabit the role
Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, often professed that if he were given ten hours to cut down a tree, he would spend the first nine sharpening his axe. Managerial translation for the newcomer: do not rush headlong into action, lest you miss the essentials. "This restraint is not always easy, because the manager sometimes arrives in an environment lacking management, where a large number of decisions are pending," explains Denis Reymond, a consultant at Cegos. However, before taking action, the newly promoted person must find satisfactory answers to certain crucial questions: how does the structure work, what does the company expect from me, and according to what criteria will my n+1 evaluate me? "He must analyze and understand his environment in functional and cultural terms in order to quickly position himself within the organization," continues Denis Reymond. The small preparatory investigation can also be for personal reasons. As IT director of a large SME in the south of France, Laurent did not wait to inquire about the method of distributing bonuses and premiums. "I wanted to immediately integrate the company's codes and not be left behind in terms of remuneration or gratification," he explains.
Presenting your program
Alongside the deciphering of his professional environment, the newcomer must quickly review his troops. Objective: to identify the implicit and explicit expectations of his new collaborators, to inventory their motivations, and to "positivize" their aspirations. Appointed commercial director of the Presses Universitaires de France, Christophe Jeancourt-Galignani individually met the members of his sales team a few days after his arrival. "It was a way to reassure them about my skills and my experience in publishing. I told them about my personality in order to establish open and constructive dialogue. I told them what I expected from them. We discussed all the topics that were important to them, from remuneration to internal organization."
"From the first meeting, the manager must indicate his values and beliefs, because his new collaborators are in a state of active waiting, even expectation, and it is important to reassure them," analyzes Jérôme Barrand, professor at Grenoble Ecole de Management and author of the Agile Manager (Dunod). He must specify whether he prefers qualitative or quantitative information, whether he is more in favor of autonomy or close reporting, whether he appreciates collaborators who excel in performance..." The management method to be implemented must be clear to limit surprise effects.
Appointing your "ministers"
Once these first interviews have been conducted, the manager must build his inner circle. Head of marketing and innovation at Slaur (manufacture and export of spirits), Arnaud Lefebvre, upon his appointment, began to "identify the people who would help me weave my web to be as efficient as possible in the job." The selection must be carried out without delay: "I have always strived to quickly identify within my new teams the high-potential and proactive collaborators, as opposed to the passive ones and those who block projects," emphasizes Eric Bigotte, CEO of Axilone, a company specializing in luxury packaging. Without losing sight of the overall project: "To unite everyone around the medium- and long-term plan that must emerge after the hundred days." The same early assessment of potential was undertaken by Pascal Capuano, business manager at Phonesec, an Aix-en-Provence company specializing in telecom security. But he remains wary of definitive judgments: "It must be remembered that today's allies will not necessarily be those of tomorrow, and that those who represent a hindrance may be valuable later." Subtlety and flexibility are therefore required.
Eric Delon
Posted on September 5, 2008
lexpansion.com
