How do you respond when you hear someone new is about to join your team?<\/p>\n
Do you secretly groan?\u00a0“Oh boy, we need to explain everything all over again.”<\/p>\n
Do you only see the downsides?\u00a0“We’re going to lose so much momentum.”<\/p>\n
Do you even think of new people as a threat to your progress?\u00a0“What if they undo all the good things I’ve already done?”<\/p>\n
I hear these perspectives pretty often and I have to say, I understand it.\u00a0Without deliberate efforts, onboarding can be distracting — or even disruptive or destructive.<\/p>\n
However, it’s also true that (like any disruption) there is also great opportunity in bringing new people on board, and here’s why:<\/p>\n
Their\u00a0eyes\u00a0are\u00a0fresh.\u00a0They can see things that you can’t.\u00a0They have no pre-existing attachments to ‘how we’ve always done it’.<\/p>\n
They may even be able to suggest something that your existing team hadn’t thought of.\u00a0They may change things up!\u00a0And it could be the best thing that ever happened.<\/p>\n
To get the gold from the freshness of their input though, you have to be open to it.\u00a0You have to be ready to see it (and we’re not all there).<\/p>\n
I encourage you NOT to resist or downplay the new person’s suggestions: “Oh you’re new, you don’t get it yet!”\u00a0\u00a0or automatically shoot down their ideas:\u00a0\u00a0“That won’t work, because…”<\/p>\n
Don’t get defensive because you feel attached to the way things are.\u00a0Encourage their ideas, work with them, educate them without curbing\u00a0their creativity.<\/p>\n
Spar and brainstorm until you get something workable from their inspiration.<\/p>\n
Tune them into the progress made before their time in a way that includes them. Bring them ‘on-board’ deliberately.<\/p>\n
You get potential breakthroughs in the way you do things.<\/p>\n
You will also get one very grateful new employee who feels heard, valued, and empowered to speak up with their ideas in the future.<\/p>\n
And that is truly priceless.<\/p>\n