Transition Acceleration: Ensuring a Solid Foundation

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

Current research indicated that up to 40% of new executives who join organizations in key positions ultimately fail and cost an organization up to six times their annual salary for an unsuccessful hire. While this statistic is high in comparison to the realities of Chesterfield County, it highlighted an opportunity for the County to strengthen its efforts with regard to ensuring the success of new County leaders. Loss of executive leadership usually isn’t due to talent or job skill, but instead to misunderstandings or an inability to become “organizationally savvy.” This is the where Transaction Assist program can assist. Intentionally guided transactions offer executives an understanding of organizational culture and politics of their new organization while providing them with a safety net. Specifically, Transition Acceleration efforts ensure the executive establishes a solid relationship with his or her boss, peers, direct reports, and other key internal and external customers, while at the same time understanding Chesterfield County’s culture both at a BOS level as well as a Leadership Team level and lastly, the “operational” work of the department(s) and its integration into the larger organization.