|
With the
changes that the work force has encountered over the
past 4 years, it is no surprise to hear that the
average tenure of a senior level executive is now
only 2.8 years. Consistently, we hear executives say
that this is their first experience being in
transition and having to actively pursue their next
opportunity. In fact, many senior executives have
never had to look for a new position; the positions
have always come to them. We recently spoke with
three accomplished CEO’s who had experienced job
transition in the past few years to find out what
made them successful in finding their next
opportunity.
The
majority of executive level positions are found
through networking. However, the problem that many
face is that they are so completely focused on
contributing to their current organization that they
forget or don’t have time to build their
professional network. Van Andrews, current CEO of
Rhinotek Computer Products, stated that during his
tenure as CEO of US Robotics he was traveling almost
100% of the time. “ I was so wrapped up in the day
to day operations that I didn’t have time to
network,” says Andrews. “After US Robotics I joined
organizations such as the Tech Coast Angels in order
to help me build my local network.”
For Vane
Clayton, President of ZOLL Data Systems, networking
with Private Equity and Venture Capital firms was
the most effective strategy for identifying CEO
opportunities. “Build a relationship with Private
Equity and Venture Capital firms before the need for
new leadership exists, the position is created or a
firm is retained. By utilizing my current network I
was able to get referred into these firms by a
credible source and establish rapport despite not
having the exact background they may request if a
recruiter was involved.”
The most
common ingredient for a successful CEO job
transition is having a clear understanding of your
personal strengths and a vision of exactly what the
opportunity should look like. David Schramm, CEO of
Arrowhead Products recommends that “everyone should
start with a piece of paper and outline exactly what
the perfect position would look like for them, what
they want to be doing and what they don’t want to
do. This will lead you to the right position versus
just a job.”
Van
Andrews from Rhinotek also attributes his successful
transition to knowing exactly what kind of company
and culture he would thrive in. “Knowing my
strengths and weaknesses helped me understand where
I would best be suited. My search had a very narrow
scope. I was selective and I was looking for a
position not a job,” commented Andrews.
The
challenges for each of these CEO’s have changed. Now
they must make a concerted effort to manage their
career by maintaining a network. “Now I am
continuously networking. Even if it’s building a
list of contacts and spending one hour a week
keeping in contact,” commented Van Andrews. Vane
Clayton, who recently relocated to Colorado for his
current position, has had to reestablish a new
network there. He is in the process of joining a CEO
Roundtable called TEC and has actively been calling
on CEO’s of other local software companies to expand
his contacts in the community. Clayton feels that it
is important to “build credibility in the business
community as a performer while you are performing.”
Likewise, David Schramm is keeping networked through
his involvement on the boards of Saddleback Valley
YMCA, the Orange County Performing Arts Business
Partnership, and the Orange County Performing Arts
Center. |
