The First 90 Days—How to Succeed in this Critical Period

The first 3 months of a new job are crucial. They set the tone of your tenure, and the relationships you make during this critical period will be integral to your future success. Whether you are working onsite in an office, completely remote, or a combination of the two, there are some common and relatively easy ways you can make those first 90 days work in your favor. Of course, this requires planning on your part. What you don’t want to do is go into a new job cold, without clearly defined objectives for what you want to get out of the new role, both professionally and personally. You need to craft a strategy that will put you on the path to succeeding in your new position. Here are a few things you can do to ensure that you rock your first 90 days: 

Show enthusiasm. Once you’ve accepted the role, be sure to tell the hiring manager and recruiter how excited you are by the opportunity. Let them know that you’re looking forward to getting on board and working with them. 

Build relationships. Every business is a relationship business; it’s important that you get to know the stakeholders, what they do, and more importantly, what they value during your first 90 days. I see so many clients focused on proving that they have technical skills when transitioning to a new role. The truth is that your technical skills are in question. Your cultural fit is. Make sure that you’re someone with whom your colleagues wish to work. Don’t merely build relationships vertically—get to know your peers and gain support at all levels of the organization.

Create a 30/60/90 day plan. This will lay out your high-level objectives and demonstrate that you’ve done some thinking about what the new role will entail. It is not going to be very granular, and that’s okay. Think about things like understanding the sales cycle, meeting with customers, understand critical goals and KPIs, analyzing sales trends, and formulating an initial budget. 

Solicit feedback and coaching. At the beginning of a new job, you’re going to want to have frequent check-ins with your new manager. Use these conversations and meetings as ways to understand her style, her values, and her goals. 

Shut up and listen. Avoid the impulse to make an immediate impact by implementing drastic changes. You’re going to want to use the first 90 days as an opportunity to observe and to think about how you can make a lasting impact on the organization. Talk less; listen more.

By the end of your first 90 days, you should have a good idea of how and where you can add value to the organization. And, while starting a new job can feel nerve-wracking and overwhelming, you can significantly reduce your stress by approaching your new role with a clear plan. Congratulations on the new role—now crush it!