We have all been in a place where we need help quickly. We ask and plead for permission for a new resource. And finally, we get permission to get an additional resource.
Voila – Mr. or Mrs. “Awesome Temp” shows up and they are ready. But as ready as you thought you were… you’re not really.
You are, in fact, very, very busy. So busy that you don’t really have time to set up Mr. or Mrs. Awesome Temp with what they need to be successful quickly. So, you do what you think is the next best thing: you assign them to shadow your best person and delegate the task of bringing your new temp up to speed.
Now, I’ll be honest – sometimes this works well. And sometimes it doesn’t. Your best person may not be 100% clear on what your vision is for this new resource. And your newbie can find themselves swirling at the start because they do not have the clear they need. This will not help their confidence or get them off to a good start.
How do we get our new resources in a place to be effective quickly?
- Clearly define what success looks like early on.
- What specific assignment do you want this associate to excel at? Consider allowing the associate to be laser-focused on one assignment in the beginning. If possible, add new tasks in slowly as you notice they master older tasks.
- Be explicit with the associate on the key components of their tasks by clearly sharing “Good looks like this” and “This is what not good looks like; don’t do things this way.”
- Stay closely connected for the first couple of days and have scheduled check-ins. Ask them what’s working well so far and what areas are still unclear or could use improvement.
- Is there a person who the resource can shadow for the specific task?
- Does the person need training on how to use a system? Do they know how to access information if they get lost using the system?
- Make sure they have the right level of access for all necessary systems.
- Provide them with an overview of entire processes, not just their piece of it. Why? Sometimes it’s hard to participate fully or grasp the importance of a task unless you can understand the full scope.
Take the time to lay out details of what needs to happen to successfully onboard and prepare associates to be successfully, quickly.
Do you need to document or set up important meetings and conversations? Is a tour or visit in order? Rather than just letting them show up and “hit the ground running”, be sure to prepare them for success. It will surely pay dividends.
The best part? If you lay out the details now and commit to a standard operating procedure, it’ll just get easier every time you do it! The future YOU will thank you.
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Holloway Consulting Group is an Atlanta-based firm helping corporate technology teams all over the world set goals, create plans, and solve complex problems. We aim to service organizations through our training, coaching, and project management programs. Schedule a complimentary discovery call to learn more about how we can help you and your organization.
