Written by Diane Laschet, Executive Coach at Performant by SCOA
Diane brings decades of international executive experience and a deep commitment to coaching high-performing teams. As part of Quanta U.S.’s new strategic alliance with Performant by SCOA—a premier Italian executive coaching firm—Diane’s insights reflect our shared mission to support Italian companies thriving in the U.S. market through integrated recruiting and leadership development solutions.
For many Italian companies operating in the U.S., hiring for senior roles often means bringing on Italians who already live and work here. This offers a clear advantage: these leaders arrive with an existing familiarity with U.S. business rhythms, communication styles, and market expectations. They don’t start from zero.
Yet, being “acclimated” is not the same as being fully integrated into the specific demands of leading in a U.S. arm of an Italian organization. Even experienced hires need to bridge subtle but important gaps: aligning headquarters’ expectations with local market realities, navigating decision-making across time zones, and building influence within hybrid, multicultural teams.
This is why the real challenge for companies begins *after* the recruitment is complete. According to research from the International Coaching Federation (ICF, 2023), leaders in transition often underperform in their first months not because of technical shortcomings, but because they struggle to adapt their leadership approach to a new corporate environment. For cross-border organizations, these early misalignments can slow growth and undermine retention.
A powerful solution is to offer targeted executive coaching during the first six months, not as remedial support, but as a high-value component of the hiring package. In fact, positioning coaching as part of a “strategic onboarding tool” reframes it from a cost into a clear investment: an exclusive benefit designed to accelerate the leader’s contribution and ensure long-term success.
In practice, the coaching process during this period focuses on three priorities.
First, it helps the leader master the company’s *two cultures*: the culture of the U.S. market they operate in and the internal culture of the Italian headquarters. Even seasoned professionals can underestimate how these layers interact. A coach guides them in interpreting unspoken expectations, adapting communication, and finding productive ways to resolve differences between local and global perspectives.
Second, it accelerates relationship-building. Leaders succeed not only through what they deliver, but through the trust and credibility they earn. A coach works with the leader to identify key stakeholders, plan high-value conversations, and establish themselves quickly as a credible partner to both U.S. colleagues and senior leadership in Italy.
Third, it ensures role clarity and focus. In the pressure to deliver quickly, leaders can take on too much too soon. Coaching supports them in defining realistic priorities, aligning them with their manager, and ensuring that short-term wins contribute to long-term goals. Gallup’s research (Harter, Schmidt, Hayes, 2002) shows that role clarity is one of the strongest predictors of both engagement and performance.
The business case is straightforward. Leaders who start strong deliver results sooner, retain their teams more effectively, and require fewer costly course corrections. A structured six-month coaching engagement improves retention, speeds up time-to-performance, and strengthens the relationship between the U.S. operation and Italian headquarters.
Making this part of the hiring offer also sends a message to top candidates: “We’re committed to your success.” In a competitive talent market, that kind of commitment can tip the balance in your favor.
In the end, the first months after hiring are not just a probationary period for the leader, they’re also a test of the company’s ability to integrate and empower talent. Executive coaching as part of a strategic onboarding tool transforms that test into a shared investment in performance, alignment, and long-term impact.