Onboard Yourself Whenever You Can
Stepping into a new role — or refreshing your perspective in an existing one — requires more than just doing the job. It’s about identifying compromises, fixing root causes, and delivering undeniable value. Here’s how to re-onboard yourself and remind your team why they can’t do without you.
Over the last few months, we had a problem with our hot water tank. We were extremely busy with other things, so instead of fixing it, we turned the electric water heater on for longer hours. To be honest, it didn’t work properly even then, and so we compromised on not-so-hot water for quite some time.
It wasn’t fun, but we got used to it.
worked with it, and I assure you no one skipped a shower because of that.
Having handled many of the other things we were busy with, we finally got to the hot water tank issue.
We called a technician, and guess what? He found a problem!
He fixed it, and our fully hot water came back.
I didn’t know how much I missed it until I started using really hot water again.
Since we fixed it, everyone at home indulges in long showers and baths. We pay for water instead of electricity, but we are definitely calmer and happier 😂
But we still lived just fine without it.
When you start a new role at work, your new manager probably has gotten used to living without a great leader. This could be because your predecessor did a poor job (and was replaced) or because the role wasn’t occupied for quite some time, which is often the case, even if your predecessor did an amazing job.
It’s not that they wanted to work without a product leader. But they had no other choice for various reasons and learned to live with it (or without it, if you will).
There are many practical tips for successful onboarding, but today, I want to address this specific angle: what do you need to do so that your new manager realizes how much he missed you?
If you think about it, these things don’t even need to wait for when you start a new role.
Your manager got used to working with you in a certain way, but is it the water they want or just a compromise? What was good enough in the past might no longer suffice. The company needs change, and so do your capabilities and potential contribution.
Make it a habit to “onboard yourself” every now and then as if you just joined the company. Here is what you want to do.
Assess the Water Temperature
When stepping into a new product leadership role-or re-onboarding yourself into your current one- the first task is to assess the situation. What’s working, what isn’t, and where are the compromises everyone has learned to live with? Just like getting used to lukewarm water when the hot water tank breaks, your manager and team may have adjusted to suboptimal conditions. They might not even realize what they’re missing until you bring it back.
It’s often easy to start with the product strategy or the lack thereof. Does the company have a clear product strategy? Does it make sense? Is it well communicated across the board? Are priorities aligned with it? Are decisions made accordingly?
Next, dig into the product itself. What compromises are being made here? Are customer pain points going unaddressed because the team lacks bandwidth or clarity? Have strategic initiatives stalled because there’s no decision-maker to push them forward? Take a close look at customer feedback and product metrics-usage patterns, churn, and retention can reveal areas where the product isn’t delivering the value it should.
Then, look at team dynamics, processes, and role definitions. Are people working well together? Do we work for the process, or does it work for us? Does everyone know what is their contribution to the bigger picture?
Finally, talk to your manager and peers about what they’ve been tolerating. Ask questions like, “What have you learned to work around?” or “What do you wish we had more time to address?” Looking at things from this perspective often reveals underlying issues you might otherwise miss or untapped opportunities with high-impact potential. Write them all down before you forget them and return to your daily hustle.
Identify and Fix Root Causes
Starting a new role comes with the great gift of looking at things with a fresh eye. If you are re-onboarding yourself into your existing role, force yourself to bring that fresh perspective by opening everything up for discussion, at least with yourself. Allow yourself to doubt everything you see — that’s the only way to avoid the bias you already have.
Addressing the root causes and not just the symptoms often requires a great deal of honesty and courage. Seeing the ugly truth is not easy. But dealing with the ugly truth is the only way to change it.
If you are new to the role, and especially in a leadership position, most likely, your manager expects you to highlight things that they might have missed and are causing trouble for the company. Remember that you are not here to do what they tell you. You are here to lead and help everyone do the right thing.
If you think about it, the previous paragraph is true even if you are in an existing role. That’s what leadership is all about, and you can bring it into any role you are in and at any point in time.
Note though, that just highlighting what’s wrong won’t get you too far. It’s acceptable as a first step if you immediately say that you are going to fix it. Don’t leave it hanging, since the last thing you want to do is add more trouble to your manager (now they know of new things that are not working well and need to think about them too). Make sure you either address the issue and come up with a solution or explain why it’s ok to leave it for later.
If the issue you found goes beyond your direct responsibility, you can still deliver solutions by partnering with someone else who can change what needs to be changed. Don’t simply tell them that they need to fix it. It’s much better to work with them to make it happen.
Deliver “Hot Water” Moments
Diagnosing issues and fixing root causes are vital steps, but they take time. There are many things you can do along the way to bring instantaneous value. Deliver moments that make your manager, team, and stakeholders realize what they’ve been missing. These are the “hot water” moments-tangible, visible outcomes that make them calmer, happier, and want more.
It’s easy to talk about quick wins in that respect, but these hot water moments don’t even need to be deliverables. Think about the things that will cause your manager to think, “I’m so happy she’s here.”
What will make them smile when you present? What will cause them to think about your contribution on their way home at the end of the day?
It’s almost never about results. It’s about the value you add to them and their day-to-day. It’s about the partnership you create with them and the load you take off their shoulders. It’s about your ownership, accountability, and fresh strategic thinking that helps everyone improve.
Create clarity in complex matters. Help people make better decisions. Take things upon yourself and come up with good solutions. These are things that you can do regardless of your official role. Don’t wait to be given these tasks. Lead with them.
The goal is to make people realize what they’ve been missing-not in a boastful way, but by delivering results so clear and impactful that they can’t imagine going back to how things were before. A good signal would be when they want you in their meetings. Consistently deliver these moments, and you’ll soon become an invaluable leader they wouldn’t want to miss.
Our free e-book “ Speed-Up the Journey to Product-Market Fit” — an executive’s guide to strategic product management is waiting for you at www.infinify.com/ebook
Originally published at https://infinify.com on February 6, 2025.
