I always dreamed of having an office with an ocean view. Since that didn’t seem to be happening as quickly as I wanted, I came up with a new strategy; a salt water aquarium. So a couple of years ago I asked my husband for a salt water aquarium for Christmas & Hanukah, and was pleasantly surprised with an empty 30 gallon tank ( and a promise of 8 fish; one for each night of Hanukah). I couldn’t wait get started. I went to the aquarium shop and got my marching orders. To create a sustainable marine environment, the first step was to purchase salt water, live sand and live rock to set up the aquarium. Then I would have to wait 3 weeks or so for the water to cycle and become “fish” ready. I couldn’t wait to add my 1st fish.
Finally the day arrived. My water was tested and I was told I could start my tank with one fish. I wanted to start with a “Nemo” type fish called a clownfish, but was quickly advised that it was safer to spend $3 on an inexpensive test fish called a blue chromis. Should the fish die, the financial loss would be minimal. The clownfish was $15 and too expensive a risk to begin with. So I bought the chromis and raced home to put him in the tank. He seemed quite happy as he swam around. The big test though, was would he live till morning. The next day, the fish was fine, so I returned to the store to buy my next fish, the coveted clownfish! I got my clownfish and brought him home. When I dropped him in the tank, he seemed fine as he swam happily around the rocks. The next morning I went to my tank and there was my clownfish dead on the sand.
What had I done wrong? Was it the chemical balance of my water? Maybe it was just a sick fish and the store’s fault. I went back to the store, with my dead fish in a bag and demanded a new fish or my money back. The store owner, Terry, said to me, “I’m sorry; there are no guarantees or money back on fish.” He then asked me if I had acclimated the fish properly. I looked at him with a blank stare and said, “What’s that?” He proceeded to tell me the procedure for acclimating a fish. First you float the fish in the bag of water in the tank for 15 minutes to equalize the water temperature. Then you cut a hole in the bag and add some tank water to the bag water so the waters mix (another 15 minutes). And then add more water to the bag (15 minutes). Then finally after 45 minutes the fish is finally ready to be placed in the tank. I was shocked at how complicated and detailed the procedure was. But I went ahead and spent $15 on a second clown fish and acclimated it as directed and Voila!!! The fish lived for 3 years.
So why in the world am I sharing this story on my blog? What does this have to do with management & leadership? How do you acclimate new people on your team; to the company, the culture, the expectations, new relationships and new responsibilities? Do you drop them in your corporate fish tank with some paperwork and a handshake? Do you give them a daylong orientation program and hope they’ll survive? It’s a fact that people who are provided targeted training, direction, support and regular feedback have a far greater chance of not only surviving the transition but thriving in their environment. What can you do to ensure a smooth onboarding experience? Tune in next week for my top ten strategies for effective acclimation of new employees.
