Transitions can be difficult as you move to another role. Coming into a new role there is an overwhelming feeling that there is so much to learn and accomplish. Being able to demonstrate success quickly requires intentional focus during the first 90 days. An article on successful transitions by McKinsey showed that close to 50% of people may fail during their transition if they aren’t focusing on the right things. Here are some areas highlighted by this article that you should review and questions to ask yourself during this transition:
- Your Business or Function
- What do I need to learn about this new area? What groups interact with this area regularly? What are the goals that need to be accomplished? What projects are underway or need to start soon?
- Culture
- Is it a collaborative environment? How is the morale? Are people engaged and motivated? What do I want the culture to look like?
- Team
- What are my team’s responsibilities? What are their experiences and skills? Do they need training or do they have the right skills? Do they work together well?
- Yourself
- What do I need to do for success? How can I plan out my priorities to focus on things strategically and set up the team for success? What kind of development do I need to do for myself?
- Other Stakeholders
- How can I ensure that I am aligned with my management, peers and direct reports? Who are my clients and do we have shared goals? Who are the other key stakeholders that I need to build relationships with to stay aligned?
Identify what changes that you want to make and try to execute them as quickly as you can. People are generally expecting a change when there is a new leader so it is easier to do this at the beginning and then adjust as needed after implementation. Going through this review will help you build a strong foundation to set you up for success and enable you to demonstrate your leadership quickly.