Onboarding
Integrating a new executive across the full annual business cycle.
Five ways we develop leaders and the organizations around them
Onboarding, Skill Enhancement, Succession, Educational & Training and Second Opinion — each combining coaching for the individual with consulting for the organization.
What we offer
The skills that got you the job may not be the skills that keep you the job.
Up to 40% of executives fail or quit within 18 months of starting a new role. Every engagement below is built to change that number for one leader at a time.
Skill Enhancement
A tailored, time-sensitive plan delivered one-on-one over months.
Succession
Preparing at least two potential successors for every leader.
Educational & Training
On-campus and retreat-style programs with a tailored curriculum.
Second Opinion
Measure twice, cut once: an independent review by an experienced CEO.
Speaking & Facilitation
Keynotes, board orientations, leadership retreats and CEO roundtables.
Service 01
Onboarding
You are who you hire.
Executives with strong résumés often fail to integrate. A failed onboarding costs productivity, damages relationships and forces a repeat hire — estimated at 8 to 12 times annual salary. Forty percent of executives fail or quit within 18 months.
Why Sinnott
An unbiased outside resource offering credibility, time commitment and confidentiality, with complete focus — in contrast to an in-house employee juggling many tasks. The engagement covers the full annual business cycle.
Leadership & business skill set enhancement
- Leadership focus areas: communication, leading change, time management, team building, candid feedback and delegation.
- New business skills: vision, strategy, financial performance, key relationships with boards, customers and regulators, and growth opportunities.
First-Time CEO
Background. “Allen,” a 38-year-old first-time CEO of a struggling local hospital, was a former COO.
Challenges. He had to produce strategic plans, fix a weak balance sheet and handle many competing demands. He realized the skills that got him the job were not the skills that would keep it.
Six focus areas for year one:
- Learn the Organization
- Set a Direction
- Establish a Short List of Priorities
- Manage Key Relationships
- Gain Early “Wins”
- Build Your Executive Team ASAP
Result. Two priority objectives were achieved. The hospital improved financial performance and passed a national accreditation survey, and Allen gained confidence.
Service 02
Skill Enhancement
The skills that got you the job may not be the skills that keep you the job.
A tailored, time-sensitive plan for an individual or an organization to build leadership and business competencies. It is delivered one-on-one over months, with experience-based training from Dan.
- Technical leadership: strategy, quality and finance — the triple bottom line.
- Relational leadership: change management, communication and team building.
- Character leadership: integrity, authenticity and self-discipline.
- Operational skills: managing operational risk, improving business processes and maximizing the benefits of technology.
A CEO Develops Skills for the Future
Client. “Linda” had been CEO of a regional financial institution for five years. She feared being seen as “stale” and wanted to strengthen her ability to lead change.
Work. Dan assessed the company and built a three-to-five-year plan naming the skills the role would need.
Result. The organization changed successfully and became more profitable. Linda said the best thing was that Dan was a former CEO who had mentored other CEOs.
Service 03
Succession
Every leader should prepare at least two potential successors.
The cost of turnover
From Dan’s article Leadership Turnover: The Health Care Crisis Nobody Talks About:
- Median hospital CEO tenure is 43 months, per a 2006 American College of Healthcare Executives report.
- Losing a CEO earning $200,000 can cost two to three times salary, about $500,000.
- A 2005 University of Oklahoma study found many leadership team members leave within a year of a new CEO: 4 departures × 2.5 × $100,000 = $1 million.
- Combined, about $1.5 million — before indirect costs.
Ensuring Legacy: Effective Succession Planning
- Looking Ahead: plan for the competencies needed in three to five years, not the current job description.
- A Recruitment Advantage: strong candidates want development, feedback and recognition.
- Skill Development: customized priorities for communication, interviewing and leadership strategy.
- Goal-Oriented Transitioning: accountability, clear time frames and periodic evaluations.
A Smooth Transition
A construction company’s board expected three key leaders to retire within two to three years.
Phase I. CEO “Harry” hired Sinnott. Over three months Dan met the board and senior leaders, identified the competencies the company would need, and helped write a Succession Plan. The board approved it unanimously.
Phase II. The company retained Sinnott to implement the plan. Two CEO candidates were identified, and “Shannon,” a vice president, was selected.
Service 04
Educational & Training
Programs range from “College of Hard Knocks” to “We Are Who We Hire,” delivered by a seasoned executive. More than 90% of participants rate the instructors excellent.
- On-Campus: seminar or lecture style at the client’s workplace.
- Retreat Style: off-site immersion with a tailored curriculum.
- Custom: curricula built for the organization’s own priorities.
Leadership Development Programs
Sales – The New Executive Competency
Applying sales techniques to leadership.
You Are Who You Hire
How to make the best hiring choices.
College of Hard Knocks – Lessons From a CEO
Candor, integrity and balance.
Becoming an Entrepreneur in the Corporate World
“You cannot shrink yourself to greatness.”
The Management Communication Program
Classroom work and on-camera practice.
Resolving Conflicts in the Workplace
Six techniques:
- “I” language vs. “You” language
- Anticipation
- Self-interest
- Non-verbal clues
- Limit setting
- Consequences
Power of Persuasion
Based on Robert Cialdini: reciprocity, scarcity, authority, consistency, liking and consensus.
Negotiations
Based on Patrick Cleary’s Negotiating Handbook: preparation, the process, conflict resolution basics, and rules of engagement.
Leading an Organizational Turnaround
The steps to start and finish a financial and organizational turnaround.
Service 05
Second Opinion
Measure twice, cut once.
An experienced CEO who is not personally involved reviews your proposed plans, strategic changes or past decisions.
- A new perspective from an independent expert.
- Turn things inside out. An outsider is not tied to the organization’s history or culture.
- Revisit the original vision to confirm outcomes match the goal.
A fresh perspective is always an asset.
A Fresh Perspective
Situation. “Peter,” CEO of a financially challenged hospital, had a plan built on cost cutting and widespread layoffs.
Work. Sinnott reviewed the plan with representatives from across the organization and developed an alternative focused on inpatient and outpatient growth.
Result. The Board of Trustees approved it unanimously. Eighteen months later the hospital was growing and many jobs had been preserved.
“Dan Sinnott was able to see a path out that we hadn’t considered.”
Ready to talk about the next chapter?
For services, educational courses or general questions, please contact us by phone or email. Call Dan Sinnott at 302-656-2898.