What is Your “First 90 Days” Plan?

Your diploma is in hand. Your post-graduation vacation is in the books. Tomorrow, or maybe next week, or perhaps 3 months from now you start your new job.

The first 90 days on the job is critical to your success. It’s the period of time that your employer is deciding how you are going to work out and you are deciding if you have made the right choice. The hardest part, with so many things coming at you at once, is knowing what is most important now. Conquering the first 90 days is the first to step launching a successful career.

For this, you will need a plan. When do you prepare the plan? Before you even start your job. If you are going to really rock your new career, you will need to hit the ground running. Show up on the first day with a personal plan of what you need to accomplish in the first 3 months on the job and you will be 3 steps ahead in the process.

If you are graduating from college with an early job offer, you might have months to prepare your plan. If you are going from one job to the next, you many have only two weeks or less to get ready.

Dig Deep Into Culture

As you think about your focus for your first 90 days on the job, up first is digging deep into the culture. Hopefully, as part of your job search and interviewing process, you learned the important things about the organization such as its purpose, mission and values. During the first 90 days on the job, you need to learn quickly how things get done, how decisions are made and the unwritten rules of the culture.  You learn these things by spending time with other people and asking a lot of questions. You can also learn by carefully observing the communication and behavior of those around you. Be a noticer of these details. 

As you prepare your First 90 Days plan, you might want to include such actions as having an in-person or virtual coffee, breakfast or lunch meeting with each person on your team during the first month. You might include meeting all of your internal “clients” – those you serve in the organization within the first month. Ask questions such as, “Are decisions made through the chain of command or is more risk taking valued, here?” The answers will help you understand the culture better and prepare you to acclimate better in your new environment.

Confirm Expectations

Another part of your first 90 Days plan is to understand the expectations of your supervisor. This is a first week task. The sooner those expectations are clarified, the faster you can begin meeting those expectations. Meet with your new supervisor and confirm what you talked about in the interview concerning the new role. What does success look like in this role? What are the expectations for you for the first week? The first month? The first 90 days and the first year? Identify the specific goals for your role.

Develop Professionalism

The third area to plan for is to develop professionalism that is appropriate for your new environment. It’s important to understand the boundaries and behaviors acceptable to the organization and your team. I think there are four actions that can help you be successful in your new job.

1.     Guard your words. Say positive things and never speak negatively about anyone. The most respected leaders I have ever known have mastered this principle.

2.     Take initiative. Don’t wait to be told what to do. If you understand expectations, then get to work and don’t stop. If you don’t understand the expectations, then get clarification. Pursue understanding – don’t expect others to notice you need help. Ask for it when you need it.

3.     Own your mistakes. You are going to make mistakes. Admit them. Learn from them and don’t make the same one twice.

4.     Work hard. That may seem obvious, but be sure you are not just mastering tasks but actually creating results. Early in your career, especially, it doesn’t hurt to be the first to arrive and the last to leave. Don’t be a clock watcher.

Take Care of Yourself

The fourth area, and maybe the most important area to think about is to make a plan to take care of yourself.

 I am often asked the one thing I would do differently in my career if I had the chance. The one thing I would do is have a plan to take care of myself from the very beginning of my career. We perform at our best when we are spiritually, physically, emotionally and mentally healthy. Plan how to spend some time on yourself in each of these areas every day. Devote time to your spiritual life with dedicated quiet time. Carve out time to exercise and eat well. Continue to feed your mind through devoting time to reading and studying. Be sure that you make time in your life for important relationships that help you remain emotionally healthy.  

For me, having quiet time and exercising first thing in the morning prepared me best for my day and I was less likely to short change those activities if I completed them early in the day. As you create your first 90 days plan, be sure to make time for you and what’s important to you. I am certain your performance will benefit from the habit.

Once you have conquered the first 90 days, you are prepared for the next steps to crushing your career!

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