Earlier this fall, the White House made news by hiring Google executive Megan Smith away from Silicon Valley to become U.S. Chief Technology Officer. She has her work cut out for her, as she will oversee Healthcare.gov, among many other key technology initiatives.
When Ms. Smith goes to Washington, the work itself won’t be the only challenge she faces. Culture shock will be another. When executives move from private to public-sector jobs—or vice-versa—there are unanticipated discomforts and obstacles that arise simply from being in an environment in which people do things in a very different way.
Let me provide an example. In my career as an executive search consultant in the health-care industry, I have met many hospital administrators and physician leaders who have left posts in the military for civilian service in various hospitals and health systems. One thing that often trips these transitioning executives up is the “responsibilities” for their new positions. For military personnel, hearing this word triggers the idea of duties—things that must get done, on time, no questions asked. In health care or the private sector in general, responsibilities are a bit more nuanced. They are things you are expected to oversee, but they can be more fluid and shifting, less rigid. A deadline missed is just fine if there is a business rationale behind it.
Smith will find life inside the beltway to be much different than in Silicon Valley. The two places are on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of bureaucracy, hierarchy, entrepreneurship, and other fundamental aspects of work.
Can she succeed as our national CTO? Certainly, as many other sector-switchers have found success in the past. The trick is to take proactive steps to ensure that cultural discomforts don’t derail success in a new territory. These steps include:
- Understand who you are and what you do well (and not so well). Executives today need to know themselves comprehensively, through self-awareness but also through modern leadership assessment methodologies. These evaluative tools can highlight strengths and weaknesses, and also suggest personality or leadership traits that might be derailers in certain situations. Someone like Smith entering the Washington establishment will need to know how she scores, for instance, in terms of patience. If she scores low, she may need coaching or training in this area. Executives can adapt to a new environment if they see personal change as a steppingstone to personal success.
- Understand employer perceptions and the impact of potential stereotyping. There will be the presumption that Smith will bring to the job a can-do spirit but perhaps a bit of Silicon Valley risk-taking and even recklessness. Right or wrong, an executive moving into a new environment will face perceptions that will need to be addressed if they could inhibit effectiveness. Being an “outsider” is OK, but it must be balanced with an ability to seek consultation from new colleagues and build consensus about key decisions.
- Translate your skills and experience into terms people will understand. When military leaders look to move into the private sector, they often talk about the successful missions and people they’ve led and yet fail to translate their experiences into tag phrases employers are looking for: “exceptional project management skills”; “able to delegate responsibility”; “success in adhering to deadlines and budgets.” It’s up to each job candidate to know what language triggers positive responses in new employers.
- Seek mentors who have successfully made a similar transition. As much as any executive likes to envision himself or herself as a maverick or pioneer, the truth is that many others have traveled the same path before. Anyone who moves into foreign territory in their career will need trusted advisors and cultural guides to rely upon. Ideally, consult with these individuals before accepting a job. Once in a new job, seek out experts on the organization’s culture and politics and how to navigate the sector’s terrain.
Megan Smith should do fine as our nation’s CTO. She won’t be the first person from Silicon Valley to flourish in the Capital. Finding leadership success in a different employment sector requires not just brains but also cultural adaptability.
Rachel Polhemus is senior partner of the executive search firm Witt/Kieffer.
