the talent management and leadership solutions firm that
provides a better human experience for a better business outcome

Newsletter - March 2008

OI Partners

The Importance of Context and Its Relationship to Leadership Success

March 13, 2008 - Harry J. Martin and Dennis F. Lekan

The importance of context and its relationship to leadership success provides an important lesson, especially when leaders anticipate a job change or find themselves in new and different environments. The tools provided here are designed to help you think through the process of assessing a new environment in order to achieve maximum success.

Before You Enter a New Leadership Challenge

  1. Take time to conduct extensive research on the new opportunity. Don’t take for granted what organizational representatives, interviewers or a recruiter tells you. Often management thinks they understand what they are looking for, but really don’t.
  2. Talk to people. Meet potential staff members, peers, the new boss’s peers and customers, if possible. Find out what they expect from someone in the position. Don’t get excited about the new job too early and place a halo around it. Doing so may cause you to ignore warning signs. Effective leaders turn down opportunities they know aren’t good fits for them no matter how tempting they might be.
  3. Take care to assess contextual differences, even though the job content may be familiar to you or similar to your current job. Conditions can vary widely across organizations. Titles mean different things in different organizations. Authority levels, norms and cultures will be different and can affect your performance in the new setting. Some contextual differences to look for include:
    • Industry standards and protocol. If you are changing industries, you will need to learn the differences between how the industry operates and what you have been used to.
    • If you are changing jobs in a similar industry, you may want to check with others in the industry who you know possess knowledge of the particular organization. In addition, check for regional differences. These can be significant, especially for organizations that have a strong regional orientation or market.
    • Finally, as you interview and talk to people, pay attention to how people interact, dress and greet each other. Is it a relaxed environment or do people seem tense? Do people have piles on their desks? Are people working in groups or working alone? Are there family pictures on desks? What’s on bulletin boards? A particular culture has many symbols. You need to understand what these mean in terms of context and ask yourself the most important question for your success: Will I fit in here?

After You Accept a New Assignment

Get to Know Your Job and the Team
Find out:

  • What is the educational background and experience of the people on your team?
  • How does the team’s background influence its approach to performance, attitudes and preferences in a leader?
  • Track the team’s work history and determine the type of environments in which it works comfortably.
  • Review past performance and get customer feedback, where possible.
  • Ask your team to develop their own set of objectives and plans for accomplishing them. Add your objectives and come to an agreement. Establish a timetable and process for monitoring performance and receiving feedback.
  • Ask for input on the kind of leadership they are used to as well as what they expect from a leader. Don’t start aggressively with a “this-is-how-it’s-going-to-be-around-here” message before you understand what style of leadership is needed and expected.
  • Communicate that you have high expectations of your team rather than giving the impression that you’re going to “whip them into shape.” If a change is required, you must first set the example. Allow time for people to adapt to your style, while at the same time, aligning your approach with the organization.

Learn How the Organization Conducts Business

  • Get the lay of the land before attempting to strike out in new directions. Read previous contracts, correspondence, terms and contact notes. Meet with key customers informally and get to know them. Avoid talking business at first. Instead, get acquainted and build rapport.
  • Get details from your staff and others in your organization regarding clients’ histories and how business in conducted with them.
  • Implement changes slowly and inform others about your intentions. Get input before making major decisions. Don’t be arrogant or feel that you will be viewed as weak by getting input from others and allowing them to participate.
  • Investigate whether your boss’s and senior management’s expectations are in sync with each other and with yours.

Harry J. Martin, Ph.D., is an associate professor of management at Cleveland State University and president of Harry J. Martin & Associates. Dennis F. Lekan, Ed.D., CMF is managing partner of OI Partners – Corporate Leadership Associates LLC (Cleveland). Martin & Lekan are co-authors of The Best and The Worst of Leadership. They can be reached at 440-250-1500 or dlekan@oipartners.net.