Changes in personnel can sometimes create tension and upset the smooth flow of work, especially when someone from the outside is hired into a senior position. Helping the parties involved develop a greater awareness of the impact of their communication makes for a smoother transition for all.
The president of the company was concerned that a senior person he had brought from another firm was not assimilating well into her new environment and new culture. He wanted to offer her support through this transition.
Hiring from the outside meant that people who had been with the firm for many years were passed over for the job. In addition, another senior designer had worked with the new hire at a different firm and was adamant that she was not the right person for this position. The animosity between the two was rubbing off on other team members and making everyone tense.