Adaptation work is distributed
The research identified three interacting layers: the organisational system, the support environment and the individual. Entry fails when the organisation treats the third layer as the whole problem.
- System: process, authority and role conditions
- Support: managers, HR, buddies and networks
- Self: interpretation, regulation and adaptive behaviour
Make ownership visible
Every recurring difficulty should be coded as newcomer adaptation, manager action, HR-process failure, organisational decision or external or regulatory dependency. That prevents coaching from becoming a polite way to normalise weak systems.