I was very pleased to contribute my views to this article in Computing magazine, by Gareth Morgan. My advice, intended for CIOs but equally relevant to other CxOs, focuses on keeping out of the crossfire, during a management shake-out.
The article cites a salutary piece of research about CxO tenure during management shake-ups, such as the appointment of a new CEO.
According to Morgan: “a 2007 study in the Harvard Business Review showed that typically C-level turnover at large US enterprises was 16 per cent. If the CEO left and was replaced by an internal candidate that rose to 20 per cent; if an external CEO came in, turnover hit an eye-watering 40 per cent.”
40% is a really scary number, if the HBR research quoted by Gareth Morgan is broadly representative. And, of course, we are already living through very uncertain times.
So how can we prepare and protect ourselves from getting caught in the crossfire of a management shake-out?
What is the most important thing we can do to survive and thrive?
Well, we are often caught on the hop by a shake-out so being fore-warned is not always an option. That does not mean though that we can’t be fore-armed.
My conversation with Gareth Morgan touched on this key aspect and here is one of my suggestions that didn’t make the final cut:
CxOs should routinely anticipate Senior Management changes, by preparing and maintaining a Personal Continuity Plan – that sets out their coping strategy and their personal value proposition to the organization.
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