This is Part 2 of the journey of moving into the exec space and hopefully providing you with some insights if this is the journey you are considering.
NOTE: The following is simply my personal view on things and my recollection of events and should not be taken as something endorsed by, or a reflection on, anyone else or any business.
It is an interesting experience having lunch with your future Board and Exec team but there is a lot to take away from such an event before you even start working for the business if you get the chance.
Here’s what I feel I got from this experience…
Meeting some of my team
Even though it felt a little strange, the team members seemed happy to see me and clearly wanted to talk about what they were doing which was a good sign of what may come. Not knowing what they had been told, or when, had me a little on the back foot but I was certainly made to feel welcome.
The looks I got from some staff as I was being shown the office
Whether it was the way I was dressed or the fact that the GM P&C was showing me around the office, there were a few people with the look on their face of, “Who’s this character wandering around the office?”. It’s only fair when you see someone being given the tour but you knew nothing about it. I am also not sure of who knew what about me coming into the office/business or even if there had been some comms around people coming into the office that day (especially with the Board meeting happening). Was I sizing others up as much as they were doing it to me? Most likely. The trick now is to give everyone a chance to show who they really are and for me to also get the same opportunity.
The office tour
It is always interesting walking around an office and seeing how it is laid out along with the actual fit out. Even though the office is very modern and new (only moved into this office recently) it felt ready for growth and to develop its personality. Fittings all looked great and even the toilets were well done.
It will be interesting to be in the environment and see how it feels and how the staff use it on a daily basis.
The introductions
Once I got into the board meeting (which had both Board members and the Exec Team), there was a number of introductions from the various people in the room. Then I was asked to give a little bit of a story about myself, which is always interesting as to what you should share when you're actually with a group of new people. Once I did this there were then some questions from the group and it ranged from, “Why Comcater?”, to “How often do you eat out?”, and even being asked about the business and what problems I am seeing.
My story
How much do you share in a situation like this that lets people know a little about you but also gives some comfort around who you are and what you bring to the table?
What if someone asked you to summarise your professional career (all 40 years) into a few sentences, how would you go? I’m sure some people would tag this as the ‘art of communication’ or having a degree of self awareness, or even being as bold as thinking you have the upper hand. I can assure you that none of this is what was going on in my head but I have told my story a few times which has helped me refine it significantly over time and then the ability to do it for the audience sitting in front of you as a result of skills you’ve developed around reading people and quickly assessing the mood in the room. You can trust your gut to help with this but that also takes time (and practice).
The questions
I don’t think it was so much the questions being asked that I got the most out of (I did get some things) but it was more about watching the banter in the room as questions were asked. This showed me the relationships in the room and how comfortable most people were in that environment. Some were more reserved than others which is not a bad thing but it is really good to notice this and to listen carefully when these people do speak up. Never underestimate what is happening in front of you and learn how to read a room beyond the obvious stuff.
The subtle messages in comments
Subtle comments can be taken in so many different ways which means you need to be careful when you say something off the cuff with no ill intent behind it. It is how others can receive these messages at times that can be a problem, and it may not be obvious. Do not get me wrong in thinking that something that was said in this brief encounter was out of hand or could’ve been taken the wrong way, but it is a fine line sometimes. Watching this happening in front of me as the new kid on the block was great for me (a people watcher) to help me understand some of the nuances of this group that will play out further over time.
All in all it was a great experience and I am very grateful for the opportunity and now look forward to what lays ahead in what I am sure will be a tough, challenging, but rewarding role once I get my head around a few things and stop worrying about whether I am capable of doing the job!
Part 3 is coming soon as I have now been in the role for a little over 5 weeks and will share what the first month has been like and some of the skills to help you through this.
Thanks for reading along! 🙏🏻
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