Hey Bloopers,

Stepping into a new leadership role is like laying the foundation for a sturdy building. Your actions in the first 90 days are crucial—they can set you up for a thriving career or, if mishandled, hold you back. Everyone is watching closely, and every move you make can shape your future. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you navigate this critical period effectively.

Here is the video explanation of it:

📊 Business Orientation: Understanding the Big Picture

Learn the Business Inside Out

Getting oriented to the business means understanding the company as a whole, not just your specific area. Familiarize yourself with:

• Financials: Gain access to publicly available financial information and seek additional sources like websites and analyst reports.

• Products and Brands: Know the brands and products you'll support, even if you're not in sales or marketing.

• Strategy: Understand the company's strategy and how your role fits into it.

Business Orientation Checklist

• Access Information Early: Gather financial reports, product details, and strategic plans.

• Ask for a Briefing Book: If appropriate, request the business to assemble a briefing book.

• Schedule Tours: Arrange tours of key facilities before your start date, if possible.

👥 Stakeholder Connection: Building Key Relationships

Identify and Connect with Stakeholders

Developing the right relationships early is essential. Identify key stakeholders and build productive working relationships.

Stakeholder Connection Checklist

• Ask for Introductions: Request your boss to introduce you to important people early on.

• Meet Stakeholders Before Starting: If possible, meet some stakeholders before your formal start date.

• Control Your Calendar: Schedule early meetings with key stakeholders, focusing on lateral relationships (peers) as well as vertical ones (boss and direct reports).

🔍 Expectations Alignment: Clarify and Confirm

Align Expectations

Check and recheck what is expected of you once you join the organization. This alignment ensures you are on the right track from the start.

Expectations Alignment Checklist

• Engage in Planning: Participate in business planning and performance management.

• Conversations with Your Boss: Have explicit discussions about expectations during your first week.

• Discuss Working Styles: Talk about working styles with your boss and direct reports as soon as possible.

🌐 Cultural Adaptation: Fit In and Thrive

Adapt to the Culture

Understanding and adapting to the organization's culture is key to your success.

Cultural Adaptation Checklist

• Ask About Culture During Recruiting: Gain insights about the company’s culture during the recruiting process.

• Discuss Culture Regularly: Have ongoing conversations with your boss and HR about the work culture.

• Identify Culture Interpreters: Find people within the organization who can help you understand the culture.

• Conduct Informal Check-Ins: After 30 days, check in with your boss and peers to gauge your adaptation progress.

🛠️ Leverage Your Skills and Identify Vulnerabilities

You were chosen for your skills, but don’t rely solely on past successes. Identify your problem preferences and seek to balance them.

Watch Your Strengths and Weaknesses

• Assess Problem Preferences: Understand the types of problems you naturally gravitate towards.

• Search for Backstops: Identify people with sharp skills in your area and learn from them.

• Avoid Over-Reliance on Strengths: Recognize that your strengths can also be weakened if someone else comes with more skills.

🧠 Relearn How to Learn

Starting a new role often requires relearning. Embrace the need to learn and adapt.

Embrace Continuous Learning

• Identify Learning Priorities: Define what you need to learn about your new organization.

• Seek Advice: Find mentors and advisers within the organization.

• Stay Open to Feedback: Use feedback to adjust your approach and improve continuously.

📅 Chris’s Story: A Lesson in Early Missteps

Chris, a new leader, made significant errors by not learning about his new organization first. His boss's feedback highlighted his failure to understand the existing structures and investment history. Chris's story emphasizes the importance of:

• Learning the Operation: Spend time understanding how the organization operates.

• Engaging with Employees: Listen to the creativity and solutions employees have developed.

• Making Informed Decisions: Avoid making changes without understanding their full impact.

📝 Defining Your Learning Agenda

A structured learning agenda helps accelerate your understanding and reduces vulnerability.

Questions About the Past

• Performance: How has the organization performed? What measures were used, and what behaviors did they encourage or discourage?

• Root Causes: If performance was good, why? If poor, what were the issues—strategy, structure, culture, or politics?

• History of Change: What change efforts have been made, and what were their outcomes?

Questions About the Present

• Vision and Strategy: Is the organization pursuing its stated strategy? Will it take the organization where it needs to go?

• People: Who is capable, trustworthy, and influential?

• Processes: Are key processes performing well? If not, why?

• Land Mines: What potential surprises could derail you? What cultural or political missteps should you avoid?

• Early Wins: Where can you achieve some quick successes?

Questions About the Future

• Challenges and Opportunities: What challenges might the organization face, and what opportunities can be exploited?

• Barriers and Resources: What barriers exist, and what high-quality resources can be leveraged?

• Culture: Which cultural elements should be preserved, and which need to change?

🏆 Conclusion: Your Path to Success

The first 90 days in a new leadership role are critical. By orienting yourself to the business, building stakeholder connections, aligning expectations, and adapting to the culture, you lay a strong foundation for success.

Remember to balance your strengths and weaknesses, continuously learn, and seek early wins to build momentum. With a well-defined learning agenda and a proactive approach, you can navigate this crucial period effectively and set yourself up for a successful tenure in your new role.

If you want to get all the learnings that I collected from the Ego is the Enemy book, join my Discord server so that you can get it.

If you want to read further about habit building, you can order Michael’s book, The First 90 Days. 🚀

Warm regards,

Bilal Khan