Page 224 - Just Promoted A 12 Month Road Map for Success in Your New Leadership Role

From Resistance to Renewal 209

agers in her new region who were regarded as “old pros” with great loyalty to
the company. Both were within several years of retirement and had maintained
a solid work record. Neither had applied for the regional position, being con-
tent to finish their careers without the added pressure that comes with a more
senior position. Everyone Linda spoke to in the corporate office said these two
could be trusted as reliable sources of good ideas and valuable information.
Linda spent many hours with each of these two district managers during
her first few weeks on the job, gaining important insights into the strengths
and problems of her region. Without their help, it would have taken several
months to gather this information. Both enjoyed serving as sounding boards
for her ideas. As Linda began formulating an overall approach to improve per-
formance in the region, she asked for their help. They became loyal and valu-
able resources for her, forming the nucleus of her leadership team.
Linda designed an approach that would simultaneously reduce negative
norms while increasing positive ones. The approach included the following:

■ Linda installed a goal-setting system for each sales district that began
with a bottom-up approach. Each account rep identified sales targets, as
did, in turn, each district manager. When these did not seem to meet a
standard that Linda felt could be reached, she initiated a positive, win-
win problem-solving approach to recalibrate the goal setting.
■ Within 10 weeks, Linda had individual, face-to-face meetings with every
employee in her organization. She was careful to listen more than speak.
When she did speak, she conveyed a message of optimism and involve-
ment. Within a short period of time, Linda had gained an initial impres-
sion of each person. She noted those who tended to complain but
infrequently offered solutions or recommendations. They were usually
part of her region’s problems. It was easy to see who was positive and who
made recommendations that could help. Early on, she began to break
down the feeling of helplessness that her employees felt. She went right
after the dynamics that had paralyzed her region. She was seen as a per-
son with high standards and a willingness to empower the organization
by listening and responding to her people’s ideas. People felt energized.
■ Based on an employee suggestion made in Linda’s initial round of indi-
vidual discussions, a “Regional Performer of the Month” club was
begun. Linda asked five account reps and three division managers to
develop objective criteria for selecting the monthly winners. From the