How to approach your first 100 days
Top ten tips for “C” level Executive Leaders / Senior Managers in their first 100 days:
1. Do not assume that your interpretation of what is expected of you is correct.
Immediately on starting clarify your purpose with the stakeholders and business owners by succinctly putting in writing objectives and an action plan. Remain in close contact with the stakeholders to ensure clarity over goals and expectations. Robert Tearle, Director at Arena Search & Selection who has 20 years head-hunting experience into “C” level positions worldwide, says if you ask bosses and employees what is expected of the job holder, all too often you get different answers. Start off focused on right things from the outset before you’ve missed your chance to excel or before it’s too late.
2. The most important thing (from an executive point of view) is to assess what needs to be done to achieve the corporate objectives for which you have been hired – says Andrew, CEO, Fortune 100 corp.
Consider the following:
• What are the critical financial objectives to be realised?
• Is the current strategy correct and effective?
- How can you close the gap on any shortfalls?
• Do you have the right people - who do you need to retain or replace?
What changes do you need to push through and why?
If you do not set your agenda here in the first 3 to 6 months, you may end up dancing to somebody else's tune and this could lead to failure.
3. Connect officially or unofficially with your predecessor to gain insight.
4. Meet the management team as a group and individually and look for any common themes – says Stephen Branley, Founder, Branley Consulting.
Try to get them on board by sharing some information about yourself, while telling them about the way you like to manage. Then meet people individually to find out what they like and dislike about their jobs as well as finding out ways they think the business can be run better - establish any common themes.
5. Ask for “state of the nation” presentations from your management team.
List their top 5 business issues and ask for proposed solutions to these. Synchronise objectives in terms of short term goals i.e. 30, 60 and 100 days, and discuss 1, 2 and 3 year business plans with the senior leadership team.
6. Stop the things that are not working and continue the things that are.
Start things that are not currently being done that should be.
7. Look for quick wins with maximum business impact.
8. Synergize the team and with the team.
Build a culture of collaboration and develop lines of communication. Take plenty of time to listen and connect with your team and staff. Empower your team and create opportunities for others to lead - distributed leadership can be a wonderful thing. At executive management level the decision that you make affects people around you so it’s important that you let them know that you care. Do not alienate yourself and show that you care - don’t get fired because you’ve failed to fit in.
9. Meet your top 5 customers or business partners.
10. Mind the gap.
It’s not unusual for people coming out of one environment to come in with incorrect or out-dated perceptions – there’s a difference between similar and same. Ask the people who hired you including HR what perceptions you may need to change and what knowledge gaps you need to bridge - says Jezz Moore, performance coach at zoomcow.co.uk who has coached business leaders at such organisations as Tesco, TNT, DWP and national Rugby & Rowing teams…
