Months 6-9: Stakeholder Alignment

At this stage of the onboarding journey, the employee is focused on building trust and strengthening connections. Beyond fulfilling their responsibilities, this phase emphasizes shaping collaborative habits and deepening relationships with key partners to ensure clear, effective alignment moving forward.

As the employee solidifies relationships and aligns their work with key partners within your team, college or unit and across the university, you can support them by:

• Facilitating Strategic Introductions: Continue helping the employee identify key partners and make meaningful introductions when needed. Provide context on team dynamics, priorities and collaboration styles to set them up for success.
• Coaching on Collaboration: Share strategies for navigating cross-functional work, managing up and handling difficult conversations. Offer insights from your own experience to help them build confidence and skill.
• Promoting Two-Way Feedback: Encourage the employee to ask for feedback from peers and partners. Coach them on how to receive it constructively and apply it to strengthen relationships and performance.
• Recognizing Influence: Acknowledge when the employee effectively navigates relationships or contributes to team visibility. Highlight how their efforts are enhancing collaboration and strengthening your team’s reputation.
• Supporting Visibility: Look for opportunities for the employee to present, collaborate or lead in front of others. These moments help build credibility and reinforce their role as a trusted contributor.

How the employee collaborates with others can be just as important as the work they deliver. Encouraging them to strengthen key relationships now will help them navigate complexity, influence outcomes and lead through collaboration, regardless of their role or title.

Wexner Medical Center Leaders: For additional onboarding resources and guidance specific to the Wexner Medical Center, visit go.osu.edu/wmconboarding.