The Summer Olympic Games in Paris have come to an end, leaving me not only with a heart full of great sports emotions but also with a reflection on how similar the worlds of sports and people management are.
Imagine your team is gearing up for the Olympic Games, a grand event where every member must perform at their peak. Now, consider you have a freshman—someone you’ve only met once for 40 minutes during the interview—who needs to contribute to the team soon enough for everyone to succeed at the Games. So, what’s the plan?
Let’s stick with the sports metaphor. Drawing from psychology, the manager’s role in onboarding is akin to coaches preparing athletes for the Olympics. Why? Because effective onboarding, like Olympic training, requires precise planning, active support, and strong motivation. Just as athletes train rigorously for four years to compete at the highest level, new hires need a well-orchestrated onboarding process to excel in their roles.
Start at the Library
Let’s build a strong foundation by first diving into some psychology. In Daniel Goleman’s “Emotional Intelligence,” we find the simple yet powerful concept of being present. Applied to onboarding, this means managers who regularly check in with new employees and provide timely feedback, are more successful in effectively integrating new team members. Don’t underestimate the power of Slack’s “quick huddle”—these small interactions can significantly impact new joiners’ perspective!
Supporting this, Daniel Pink’s “Drive,” often considered the “bible of motivation” in modern leadership, offers principles of autonomy, mastery, and purpose that can guide your onboarding plan. This is why at Klika Tech we are aiming to allow new hires to take ownership of certain tasks, provide opportunities for skill development, and clearly link their work to the company’s goals to foster a sense of purpose.
Finally, let’s complete our theoretical picture with John P. Kotter’s strategies for managing change, such as setting clear milestones and celebrating early achievements. Welcoming a new team member is, in fact, a change-management process—for you, your team, and the new person. Viewing onboarding as a change in your team can help you plan an effective process, create structure, and avoid chaos. This includes breaking down the onboarding journey into achievable steps, tracking progress, and recognizing accomplishments to maintain high motivation.
OK, we’ve got the theory down. Now, what do we do in practice? Let’s get back to the Olympics!
The Training Camp
Athletes begin their journey at a training camp, and new team members start theirs at your company, ideally in a welcoming environment. Take a cue from Google’s “Noogler” program, which immerses new hires in the company culture from day one. As the manager, you create this “training camp” by developing a structured yet inviting onboarding plan. As mentioned earlier, Goleman’s concept of emotional intelligence highlights the importance of making new joiners feel valued and supported. Start with a personalized welcome, ensuring they have clear access to resources and support.
Begin with a welcome email before their first day, leave a welcome message on Slack, and make sure to book some time on their first day to simply say hello or grab coffee together—whether virtually or in person.
At Klika Tech, our managers have developed their own best practices for welcoming new joiners. Meet Liubov Shpak, a manager responsible for several teams working for our clients. Her new joiner’s first-day routine always includes a “must-have” welcome meeting.
Moreover, Liubov has experimented with different approaches to introducing new joiners to the team, such as dedicated events and extended daily meetings. If you’re not convinced by the theoretical examples, here’s one that’s been tested in the field. She found that the extended daily meeting works best, as it’s already on everyone’s calendar, feels more natural, and is less stressful for the new joiner. Before the meeting, the team is informed about the new joiner and asked to prepare brief self-introductions.
Plan – Do – Check – Act and Repeat
Training for the Olympics involves detailed skill development, and similarly, onboarding requires clear guidance. But preparations for this start long before the “first person enters the gym.”
As a manager, your job is to create a plan and support your new team member in executing it. If you’re unsure about certain technical specifics, involve your Tech Leader. You have the privilege of working with great specialists, just like many sports coaches.
Did you know that during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Arshad Nadeem won the first individual gold medal for Pakistan in history, and the nation’s first Olympic medal in 32 years? His entire village helped him. He trained under tough conditions, using bamboo sticks instead of javelins, with no proper sports facilities. Yes, in 2024! While I don’t mean to suggest that such difficult circumstances are ideal, this story highlights that no space-age technology, fancy tools, or assistants can replace community support, a solid plan with execution, and self-belief.
Simplicity is gold, so sometimes all you need is a spreadsheet with the necessary details about the project, ways of working, and useful contacts. Be sure to include milestones for 30, 60, and 90 days. By the end of the adaptation period, the new joiners should have the opportunity to showcase their skills and expertise. Well-defined expectations will help them contribute effectively to the project and assist you in evaluating their progress.
At Klika Tech, our managers have their own routines to help welcome new joiners. You already learned about some of Liubov Shpak good practices; here is another one. She has carefully prepared an Onboarding Plan that includes all the necessary details about the project, team, client, and key contact information for stakeholders and team members. This thorough preparation not only streamlines her process each time but also ensures that new joiners feel equipped and expected from day one.
On top of that, her careful assessment of any possible gaps the new joiner might have – based on interviews, CV evaluations, and initial meetings – allows her to enhance the onboarding plan with necessary training or workshops. This approach helps new joiners fill any gaps (such as lack of knowledge about Scrum or use of Klika Tech libraries) quickly and start bringing value to the team sooner.
Mental Support
Even an Olympic champion can easily fail without a secure mental state. The best athletes confirm that they work not only on their physical abilities but also on “training their mindset” with equal seriousness. Their coaches, often supported by psychologists, play vital roles in maintaining their mental stability. So if you thought securing team members’ mental health is akin to “babysitting,” you were mistaken. None of the athletes’ coaches are nursery teachers. In fact, being present and emphasizing the importance of someone’s work does more for their mental health than just patting them on the back.
In our business world, Daniel Pink’s research on intrinsic motivation shows that team members are more engaged when they understand the impact of their role. As their coach, clearly articulate the project’s purpose and connect it to their contributions. This fosters a sense of purpose and belonging, motivating new hires to invest in their roles and contribute to team success.
When it comes to teams and performance, encourage new joiners to collaborate with their colleagues and share ideas from the outset, and vice versa! This not only helps them integrate faster but also promotes a culture of support and creativity—an essential component in our highly competitive IT world. A great way to facilitate this smooth integration is by assigning a “buddy” to each new team member.
Did you know that Simone Biles, one of the greatest gymnasts in the world, multiple medalist, and Olympic champion, withdrew from the team final at the Tokyo Summer Olympics after a challenging performance in her individual competitions?
Despite being at the peak of her career and in “the best possible moment” in terms of her physical condition, she made the difficult decision to step back for the sake of her mental health. In later interviews, she revealed that while her physical performance was exceptional, her state of mind was suffering, preventing her from competing at the Olympic level.
In Paris 2024, she made a triumphant return. And do you know what she did early on the morning of the day she won her gold medal? She began her day with a call to her therapist. This underscores just how crucial mental well-being is, even at the highest levels of athletic performance. Her example highlights the significant role that mental health plays in achieving and sustaining excellence, particularly in high-pressure environments like the Olympics. In IT, we also know something about high pressure.
High Performance
The ultimate goal of Olympic training is to achieve peak performance during the Games. Similarly, the goal of onboarding is to prepare new employees to deliver business value swiftly. By providing them with a clear plan, and well-defined expectations, and ensuring they feel welcomed, supported, and connected to company’s mission, you accelerate their transition from newcomers to high-performing contributors.
Building strong foundations during the first 90 days ensures that both the manager and the new joiner are aligned and confident in their long-term collaboration. Additionally, practicing effective planning and setting clear expectations becomes a natural habit for both parties, ultimately benefiting your business.
The Locker Room
As a Manager, you are not alone. Just as Olympic athletes and coaches rely on their entire support team, managers and new hires benefit greatly from HR and Administrative staff. These individuals are crucial in helping new team members integrate smoothly and feel welcomed. If any questions arise, don’t hesitate to reach out to your HRBP, Administration, or IT team members.
At Klika Tech we called-up Tech Leads. These individuals play a crucial role in supporting managers by helping them better understand the capabilities of team members. One example of the cooperation between managers and Tech Leads at Klika Tech is during the monitoring of the adaptation period.
Let’s return to one of our Managers, Liubov, and her collaboration with Tech Leads. Task assignments are coordinated closely with the Technical Lead to ensure clarity and avoid misunderstandings. They are assigned progressively to match the new joiner’s capabilities, helping them integrate smoothly and succeed in their role.
At Klika Tech, we are all one team working together to achieve our company’s (and clients’) goals. So, let the Games begin!
Special thanks to Liubov Shpak for describing the adaptation process standards at Klika Tech and for sharing her own best practices.
Reference list:
- Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. 1995
- Pink, Daniel H. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. 2009.
- Kotter, John P. Leading Change.1996
- Sports trivia prepared based on extensive internet research and in-depth binge-watching of the Olympic Games.
By: Michalina Dabek, HR Business Partner