The early exit of Manchester United's manager will resonate in Corporate Boardrooms, says Mark Byford

The early exit of Manchester United's manager will resonate in Corporate Boardrooms, says Mark Byford

David Moyes’ exit from Manchester United after just 10 months has parallels in the corporate world, where the tenure of leaders is falling whilst expectations rise. More action is needed to “turbo-charge” new leaders, says Mark Byford, joint head of the global Accelerated Integration practice at Egon Zehnder.

Early exits often arise from disappointment that the outcomes fall well short of what was hoped for, and perhaps promised, at the start. Yet for global companies, like football clubs, the stakes are high, which is why more needs to be done to help new leaders hit the ground running, and accelerate their ability to deliver results. “Softer issues”, around culture and relationships, most often determine the eventual success of an incoming leader. This is why Egon Zehnder has developed a new, more in-depth approach to executive integration which focuses on culture, stakeholder and team dynamics, personal style and effectiveness – critical but often neglected aspects of the “bedding in” process. We call this “Accelerated Integration” because we’ve seen how both new leaders and those around them integrate faster and more effectively.

Increasingly we continue to work with the individual and key stakeholders in the new organisation to take them through a structured, “deep-dive” accelerated integration before day one. Whatever the route, the goal is better insight and understanding of the culture, politics and dynamics – feeding into a road map that allows you to avoid potential obstacles and build the trust and knowledge needed to take better decisions faster.

Read the full article: MANAGEMENT TODAY/ FEATURES/ MT EXPERT (25/4/2014).