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