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Own Your Onboarding and Your First 30/-60/-90 Days

Updated: Jan 29

Congratulations on your new role! Starting a new job is both exciting and stressful at the same time no matter what stage you are at in your career. You want to meet your new boss

expectations, connect with your co-workers and team and enjoy the work you’re there to do.


The first 30 to 90 days are, in a way, still part of your interview process as you become

immersed in the new organization’s culture. Your goal should be to fully take ownership of your new position because this is the best time to establish yourself as a professional, demonstrate your work ethic and abilities, and start to build relationships around and outside of the workplace.


Most organizations offer new employee orientations centered on delivering information and

completing paperwork. Often, those in senior roles do not participate in these orientations and, therefore, miss a golden opportunity to meet other new employees. Most importantly, they miss out on receiving the information that everyone else is receiving and modeling desired behaviors with their presence.


Instead, onboarding programs are designed to enable employees at all levels to deliver

expected results in the shortest possible time. General onboarding programs are designed for all employees to learn about the organization’s history and culture and start gaining a sense of belonging; those pieces of training that everyone must take are usually included in general onboarding programs and all the paperwork that must be completed is handled separately. Role-specific onboarding programs are the second phase of onboarding because they are customized to each role and delivered by their immediate supervisors in collaboration with other areas after new employees arrive at their departments or units.


Most likely, if your organization has invested in a solid general and role-specific onboarding

program, that goes beyond facts, figures, rules, and paperwork, your onboarding, as a senior leader, will be very individualized and tailored. You will probably work with external coaches and experts and spend a significant amount of time meeting critical stakeholders and learning about the operation and its challenges. You may have even started this process before your first day on the job.


If, however, your organization does not have a formal onboarding program in place, you will

need to rely on your previous experience and skills to ask the critical questions that will allow

you to find your way around the organization and get access to the resources that you will need to make an impact. You will create your onboarding.


Whether or not the organization has a formal onboarding program in place, it’s up to you to

make the best of those first 30 to 90 days for everyone’s benefit and to set the tone for the

upcoming months. Starting on your first day, you are in an advantageous position to ask

questions and request what you need as you establish yourself and solidify your reputation as a leader. Let’s look at what you should do to maximize the benefits of this opportunity to make a lasting positive impression throughout the organization and beyond.


With your immediate supervisor:

● Get clarity on your role, your team, and your stakeholders.

● Determine your role’s contribution to the company’s bottom line.

● Define your immediate supervisor's expectations and goals for your role and you. Be

ready to make suggestions.

● Inquire about any unwritten rules that you should follow and landmines to avoid.

● Identify your immediate supervisor’s work style and communication preferences. Share

yours.

● Map the interdependencies of your department and start building relationships.

● Find out how your performance will be evaluated, how often, and by whom.

● Ask about ongoing plans/projects and what is expected from you.

● Request a description of a typical day.

● Obtain access to proprietary information that could not be disclosed before.

● Review your achievements at the 30-, 60-, and 90- day marks.

● Request feedback on what is working and what can be improved to avoid surprises.


With your team:

● Meet all of them and make sure that you remember something unique about each one.

● Share how you like to work and communicate.

● Establish regular schedules to meet with them individually and as a group.

● Evaluate your team’s strengths and weaknesses as well as the value they bring.

● Be open to reorganizing the team by attrition or design.

● Make employee recognition a part of your team’s culture.

● Be sensitive to everyone’s needs, especially if any member of your team applies for your

role.

● Model the behaviors that you want to see and “walk the talk.”

● Co-create the team’s vision and goals to promote ownership and engagement.

● Review the team’s individual and collective achievements at the 30-, 60-, and 90-day

marks.

● Provide and seek feedback on what is working and what can be improved to avoid

surprises.

● Celebrate everyone’s wins.


For your stakeholders:

● Write your plan so that you have it for reference and abide by it.

● Determine those pressing issues and decisions that you must address immediately.

● Select your quick wins to gain visibility.

● Identify decisions and plans that can be postponed until you have a firmer grasp of your

role and the business.

● Fine-tune your plans to align with the company strategy as you move up your learning

curve.

● Sponsor projects and initiatives for visibility as someone who gets results.

● Redirect initiatives, plans, goals, and targets based on results.

● Participate actively in meetings and events at all levels.

● Join cross-departmental committees and task forces.

● Be active as an expert in your field beyond the boundaries of your organization.


Embrace this unique opportunity to make a positive lasting impact on the organization you just joined by making the most of your onboarding and your first 30/-60/-90 -days. Set the course for your success!


If you want the latest information on resume and job search best practices, reach out to us at D&S Executive Career Management. We are committed to staying on top of the rapidly changing job market and can help you compete for top jobs in your field.


Schedule a call today and take the first step toward achieving your professional goals.



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