Situation: A CEO recently hired a new high level manager. To integrate the individual into the company the original set of assignments was limited in scope – to help the manager get to know others within the company. The new manager seems to overanalyze things. Long hours are spent carefully drafting plans but there is little action. How can the CEO manage this individual without micromanaging? How do you coach a new manager who isn’t cutting it?

Advice from the CEOs:

• It looks like this person is working long but not necessarily productive hours. This is costing you time and money – both yours and your employees. The question is whether the root cause is the individual’s behavior or your own expectations and behavior. Ask yourself the following questions:
• Have you clearly outlined your expectations in terms of what is to be delivered, the time in which it is to be delivered, and any constraints around the projects for which this person is responsible?
• Have you provided the necessary resources and empowered the individual to make the decisions required to bring projects to completion?
• Have you scheduled regular update meetings with this individual and openly discussed project progress and obstacles to completion?
• Have you set appropriate expectations with your other staff as to the authority of the new individual? Are you honoring those expectations in your own behavior?
• If you have done these things, and the individual is not performing, then it is time to ask whether you hired the right person.

[Like]