TSB 023: Unlocking Potential: How Nonprofit Leaders Support New Hires

Read Time: 2 minutes

This week's tip: Supporting new employees through failure is a crucial part of any successful onboarding program.

Congratulations on your new hire! As their leader, it's important to keep in mind that starting a new job can be both exciting and overwhelming.

The pressure to perform well and fit into the company culture can cause anxiety and stress for new employees. However, it's important to remember that failure is a natural part of the learning process and should be viewed as an opportunity for growth and improvement. 

"To be successful, you need to do 100 things right. To fail, you need only do one thing badly."

- Sam Wurtzel 

It's critical to establish a secure and supportive environment for your new employee, where they feel comfortable sharing their mistakes and asking for assistance. Instead of stigmatizing failure, it's important to encourage your employee to learn from their mistakes. This way, they are more likely to take risks and innovate in the future.

To help your new employee overcome failure, providing frequent feedback and coaching is essential. Your feedback should not focus solely on what went wrong; this is an opportunity to share what can be learned from the experience.

Framing feedback in a positive light can help employees understand that failure is not a reflection of their worth or abilities but rather an opportunity to learn and grow.

In addition, set practical expectations for your new employee and provide them with the necessary resources to succeed. This could include access to training, mentoring, and support from colleagues.

By providing your new employee with the tools they need to succeed, you can help reduce the likelihood of failure and ensure that they feel supported even when things don't go as planned.

Lastly, it's important to acknowledge and celebrate your employee's successes, no matter how small they may seem.

Recognizing and rewarding success builds employee confidence and motivation, which can help them bounce back from failure and continue to strive for excellence.

Supporting new employees through failure is a crucial part of any successful onboarding program.

Failure should be viewed as an opportunity for growth and improvement rather than a stigma.

By providing frequent feedback, coaching, and support, you can help your new employee learn from their mistakes and develop their skills.

With the proper approach, failure can be a stepping stone to success, and your employee can feel confident and supported as they navigate their new role.

That's all for today. I'll see you again next Saturday!

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