Management guru David Maister has an interesting post on the effectiveness of the strategy of hiring "laterals" into an organization. David's premise is that hiring laterals can only work if they are properly integrated into the company. I agree.

This got me thinking about the relationship between the "new guy at work" who has to get integrated in the company and the "new guy on the ice" who has to get integrated in with a sports team, and about what does and doesn't work in these situations. More generally, the question is how does a new person get integrated with an established group, and what factors make this a success or failure? In other words, how does an "outsider" (the lateral) turn into an "insider" in an established organization?

Let's take the example of a "new guy" joining a weekly ice hockey pickup game with a bunch of "regulars". (Yes, I thought of this analogy on my way home from hockey practice over the weekend. And, yes, last night there was a "new guy" at my weekly Monday night skate.) When you're reading this, think about the analogy with work.

During warmups: When a new guy comes out to a regular weekly skate, the first thing that happens is you (the regular) consciously or subconsciously make a little mental note based on the superficials- what kind of equipment is he wearing and how does he skate during warmups?

During the game, between shifts: Then, the game starts and when you're on the bench between shifts you might lean over to another regular and ask: "Who's the new guy? Where's he from? Who brought him? What team does he play on?"

During the game, on the ice: Then, you start playing (with or against each other, depending on how the pickup teams are set) and different things happen during the game- a good play, a bad play, a pass, a goal, a little contact, a body check, a fight, and so on.

It certainly helps if the new guy can play his position well and if he can score some goals. Goals build credibility pretty fast. It also really helps if he is a playmaker and he gets some assists- setting up others to score goals goes a long way in building relationships with the regulars!

Note that the new guy actually gets many chances during a game, so even if he makes a bad play, he can make up for it with a good play later in the game. So, the new guy is allowed to make mistakes, but over the course of the game he has to make more contributions than mistakes.

During the game, between shifts: When you're on the bench together between shifts, if you're not shy (but most people are!) you may introduce yourself and ask "Are you playing on a team? Who do you play for? How did you find out about the skate?" Also, there may be little exchanges on the bench like "Nice shift" or "Nice play".

During the game, a fight! Let's say the new guy gets into a fight during his first skate! (No, this did not happen last night, but I have seen it happen a number of times.) In general, this is not a good thing to do on your first skate with the team. But even this may or may not be a show stopper. For example, if the new guy started a fight with a highly respected player, then it's pretty much Game Over... unless he makes an apology. An apology can go a long way. Also, if he got into a fight with a jerk, then he may end up a hero. An apology goes a long way here, too. (By the way, I don't recommend this approach to get integrated into a team.)

After the game, in the locker room: After the skate, everyone is in the locker room changing. If the new guy gets involved in a little locker room chat, then that can help him get integrated. (If he brings beer, he's IN!)

Then the question is does anyone say anything to him? In reality, he'll only get feedback if he was really awesome, if he was really terrible, if there is an unusually social regular, or if there is a really good team leader/manager. But in general, people don't give feedback. So, the new guy shouldn't be discouraged if he doesn't hear anything.

Getting integrated = Building credibility and relationships

All these things factor into how the new guy gets integrated with the team. The main thing is that from the first skate the new guy is building his credibility and relationships with the regulars.

Note that a little "nice skate" or "thanks for coming out" from a regular goes a long way with the new guy, since the new guy was a little nervous about his first time playing with the group and even the slightest bit of feedback is really appreciated. But, the new guy should note that in general people are shy and don't give feedback. So, even if noone says anything, he can still come back next week to continue to build his credibility and integrate himself with the team.

How does this relate to the new guy at work?

I'd say that warmups is analogous to when the new guy is meeting people in the company for the first time and making his first impressions. This may be through hallway introductions or at the first group events. The post-game locker room chat is similar to hanging out after meetings to continue discussions and socialize a bit.

The first game is analogous to the new guy's first project at work. What is important is what happens during project meetings (on the ice), and what happens between project meetings (between shifts). Note that over the course of the project, there will be successes and there will be mistakes, but the mistakes are surmountable. The key is having more successes than mistakes over the course of the project.

My recommendations for the new guy

During warmups and beyond

• Be respectful of the regulars.
• Build credibility.
• Be respectful of the team culture.
• Let others know who you are. Learn who others are. Have a decent answer when someone asks you about yourself.

On the ice / During a project

• Be a playmaker. Make good passes.
• Score some goals. Better yet, get some assists!
• Don't worry about making a mistake. Instead, get fired up to follow up with a good play.
• Skate hard. / Work hard.
• Help out with the little tasks, e.g., Fill water bottles. / Take meeting notes and share them.
• Try not to get into a fight. If you do to get into a fight, make sure its against a jerk. If you do get into a fight with a well-respected guy, then apologize! Actually, apologize to the jerk, too.
• Follow the culture of the team. If the regulars don't check during the pickup, then don't check.
• Don't play dirty.

After the game

• Hang out in the locker room for a bit after the game. Chat, have a beer, and get to know people.

Questions

Do you think this analogy relates to the new guy at work and how he gets integrated into an organization?

Do we have any management lessons to learn from this?

Do you have any other group experiences that are analogous to "the new guy at work"?

Tags: David Maister, new guy, lateral hire, integration, management, teamwork, hockey, HP

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