Onboarding Program Enhances Collaboration and Strategic Alignment in New Leadership Team at a Major Mental Health Organisation
The Brief
A major mental health organisation, committed to ensuring all people in Australia achieve their best mental health, embarked on a transformation process to develop a community-centric future operating model.
This initiative led to the creation of six new C-suite roles focused on transformation, strategy, consumer experience, community, and operations. After successfully appointing these leaders, the CEO engaged Future Leadership to design and implement an onboarding program to integrate the new leadership team into the organisation’s culture, values, and vision.
Improvement in Performance
Studies show that executives who receive coaching report a 70% improvement in work performance, according to the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Lower Turnover Rate
Organisations with effective leadership development programs have a 30% lower turnover rate among employees, as leadership development fosters employee engagement and loyalty.
Reference: Harvard Business Review, "The Impact of Leadership Development on Employee Engagement" (2017)
Companies report Enhanced Leadership Skills
85% of companies report an improvement in leadership capabilities as a direct result of implementing leadership development programs, leading to better decision-making and team management.
Reference: Deloitte, "Global Human Capital Trends" (2019)
Higher Return on Investment (ROI)
Leadership development programs yield an average return on investment (ROI) of 6 times the cost of the program, reflecting the significant value they add to the organization.
Reference: Korn Ferry, "The Real ROI of Leadership Development" (2018)
The Process
Future Leadership employed a structured onboarding process designed to build a high-functioning leadership team by:
- Identifying Work Styles and Preferences:
Each new and existing leader, along with the CEO, completed a Team Management Profile survey to gain insights into individual work styles and preferences. This process raised self-awareness and provided deep insights into better ways of working together. - Creating Common Understanding:
The program established a shared understanding and commitment to the strategic direction, goals, and priorities for the next phase of the organisation’s journey. - Identifying Shared Accountabilities:
The onboarding process helped identify shared accountabilities and interdependencies across the team, leveraging individual skills and ensuring effective collaboration to improve team performance. - Clarifying Roles and Priorities:
The program clarified individual roles, accountabilities, and priorities, creating clarity and alignment within the team. - Building Commitment to Vision and Values:
The team workshop, titled “Stronger Together,” provided a strong foundation for understanding the collective styles and preferences within the new team, fostering a culture of self-awareness, collaboration, and high performance from the start.
The Advisory Team's Impact Across Clients Through Survey Feedback
32% Increase in Self Awareness
Individuals’ awareness of motives, values, strengths and development needs
21% Increase in Motivation
Individuals’ motivation to apply learning, insight and further develop
27% Increase in Confidence
Individuals’ confidence in their abilities and impact as a leader
30% Increase in Role Clarity
Individuals’ clarity around success factors associated with their role
The Outcome
The onboarding program successfully integrated the new leadership team, establishing a culture of self-awareness, collaboration, and high performance.
The process enabled the CEO and the leadership team to align strategically, ensuring they were well-prepared to drive the organisation’s vision and goals forward.
