The document discusses common reasons for executive failure within the first 18 months, including an inability to build relationships, failure to adapt to company culture, and misaligned expectations between the executive and company. It then describes 6 Group's Accelerated Performance Programme which aims to increase executive success rates by clearly defining expectations, establishing a sense of urgency, developing a vision and plan, and consolidating early successes. The programme merges assessment and onboarding processes to accelerate an executive's performance from day one.

1. 6 Group: Leadership & Change Advisory Executive Search Project RPO
Accelerating Executive
Performance
John Begley, EMEAI Regional Director
6 Group
www.6-group.com enquiries@6-group.com +44 (0)161 926 4320

2. 6 Group: Project RPO Executive Search Leadership Advisory
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AGENCY
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6 Group: Executive Search Leadership & Change Project RPO
+44 (0)161 926 4320enquiries@6-group.com
So, why do companies and executives keep making the same mistakes?The blame game comes into play,
the executive blames the company and the company blames the executive - however, it’s usually much more
complicated.
There will have been excitement and a real desire for the appointment to succeed by both parties.The executive
has beaten off stiff competition during the interview process and will have demonstrated prior achievements, be
intelligent, suitably qualified and referenced - but it’s the potential pitfalls of failure which haven’t been identified.
According to research by the Centre for Creative Leadership the reasons for failure include:
• An inability to build key relationships
• Being too slow in learning and adapting to the organisation’s culture
• Wrongfully assuming that what has worked for them before will be successful again
• Neglecting to manage the differences between the perceived role and the realities of the actual role
It’s worth noting that sometimes it’s just a case of the wrong person for the role, but these risks should be
mitigated. It starts right at the outset of the hiring process by using a robust and evidence-based assessment
model which is focussed on the behavioural and functional competencies required for the candidate to - not only
get the job - but to also be successful once on board.
It has also been proven that newly appointed executives who have a clear structure to their on-boarding, along
with the time and support to formulate plans and ideas, are more successful than executives who are expected to
‘sink or swim’- an approach which is all too commonly utilised with senior hires!
Merging the assessment and on-boarding processes together, whilst ensuring there is a clear alignment of
expectation, can dramatically accelerate the performance of the new executive.
The Centre for Creative Leadership reports that
around half of executive appointments are
deemed failures within their first 18 months...
There are often many reasons given for this
by both the executive and their boss but, in
most cases, the perception and realities of
the organisation's challenges have become
misaligned once the new executive is on
board. Combine this with higher expectations
for performance and lower levels of patience
for results than ever before, and you can
appreciate why the success of a new leader has
more or less the same odds as a coin toss.
6 Group: Leadership & Change Advisory Executive Search Project RPO
+44 (0)161 926 4320enquiries@6-group.com
Accelerating Executive Performance:
John Begley, EMEAI Regional Director at 6 Group
6 Group: Leadership & Change Advisory Executive Search Project RPO
www.6-group.com enquiries@6-group.com +44 (0)161 926 4320

3. When executives in a new position don’t build a strong foundation early on in their incumbency, they will
struggle to gain the right traction in their role and the consequence can be a serious waste of talent. It often
results in them never fulfilling their early promise and potential, and negatively impacts on their influence and
credibility as a leader.
Executives in this position shouldn’t be left to simply battle through with sheer resilience until success has been
achieved - particularly when there are solutions available for organisations to increase the volume of executives
who reach their optimal level of effectiveness, become an integral driving force for the business, and which
ultimately offers them both parties the best possible chance of success.
In response to this, 6 Group developed the Accelerated Performance Programme (APP) designed to prepare
and support the incoming executive and their new employer by:
The Society of Human Resources Management estimates costs associated with the poorly managed
identification, assessment and on-boarding of a new executive to be as high as five times their annual salary and
could be even higher when missed business opportunities and poor financial performance are considered.With
this in mind, companies would do well to take additional precautions to protect their investment by ensuring
their newly hired executives do not fall victim to the 50% failure statistic.
Today, the negative impacts and costs associated with poor hiring decisions have become even starker
due to skills shortages and a more risk-averse candidate market.To combat this, creating a platform which
enables executives to perform at their full potential and become effective leaders from day one through use
of a supportive, structured and transparent on-boarding programme can provide organisations with a huge
competitive advantage.
6 Group is an ambitious, growing and successful consultancy focussed on the delivery of outstanding
executive search and leadership advisory outcomes for our clients - we work in partnership to ensure their
goals become ours.
• Defining the expectations of the appointment to create alignment
• Determining what success looks like
• Establishing a sense of urgency
• Constructing powerful and useful coalitions
• Creating an impactful and compelling vision
• Developing a plan for short-terms wins
• Generating momentum
• Consolidating and building on early successes
• Sustaining high levels of performance
Accelerating Executive Performance:
John Begley, EMEAI Regional Director at 6 Group
John Begley is 6's EMEAI Regional Director and heads up our UK office.With over 19 years’
experience in executive search, he has managed leadership assignments across the UK, Europe,
Middle East and Africa within Engineering, Finance, Business Development, Strategy, Executive
and Non-Executive Management.
John Begley, EMEAI Regional Director johnbegley@6-group.com +44 (0)161 926 4325

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+44 (0)161 926 4320enquiries@6-group.com
Omni RMS: Empowering Strategic Resourcing Partnerships
0161 929 4343enquiries@omnirms.com
AGENCY
42%6 Group: Executive Search Leadership Advisory Project RPO
+44 (0)161 926 4320enquiries@6-group.com
6 Group: Executive Search Leadership & Change Project RPO
+44 (0)161 926 4320enquiries@6-group.com
6 Group: Leadership & Change Advisory Executive Search Project RPO
+44 (0)161 926 4320enquiries@6-group.com
6 Group: Leadership & Change Advisory Executive Search Project RPO
www.6-group.com enquiries@6-group.com +44 (0)161 926 4320