Radical idea: don’t give your new executives a title or company phone for three months. Yes, I actually wrote that

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Why?  Because they act as a distraction to the grass roots of what their role is all about.

The moment an executive, regional manager or department leader starts, he or she immediately assumes all the responsibilities of the title they have been given.  They become part of the “Head Office” or “Support Centre” system very quickly.  This includes a deluge of emails, phone calls, dashboards and social-media requests.  I have often started these positions only to find out I am behind on meetings and emails as soon as they hand me my company smart phone.   I have watched new managers spend hours and days trying to figure out how to navigate the system. These new managers will get distracted and lose a vital opportunity to focus on the operational areas of your business.

Without technology for the first few months, instead of time in the office, time clued to a phone each time it beeps or being distracted, managers will be forced to be with their team, on the floor with the guest, interacting with the support department teams.  The same is true of announcing them as a new executive in charge of an area as soon as they start.  Once it is announced, they will be immediately expected to be the expert, solve problems, attend meetings and lead the team.  If they have time without those obligations, they can work side by side with all levels of the company to listen, learn and reflect before they must take action. If you truly want your executives to understand the business, culture, people, issues and key aspects of the area they are responsible for, don’t distract everything with titles and technology out of the gate.

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