What NOT to Do During Your First 90 Days

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Hello, folks, and welcome to another episode of the Leadership Growth Podcast.

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I’m your host, Daniel Stewart, along with my brother, Peter Stewart.

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And we’re going to be chatting about a very important topic today,

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and it’s essentially what to do, or rather, what not to do,

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during your first 90 days.

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Because this period for any new leader

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is so critical because you begin to establish yourself as to who you are,

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expectations, integration with the team.

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Focusing on strategy, getting quick wins.

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And unfortunately, there are things that can really mess you up during that time.

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So we want to talk about what you want to avoid

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and what you want to dive into to be successful in your transition period.

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But before we go there, Peter, you have a little interesting,

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insightful activity for us to play.

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How should we go about doing that as we start?

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Yeah, I figured, hey, we’re going to be talking about leader transitions.

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So let’s talk a little bit about organizational transitions.

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Specifically, what were some of the original

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products or services that well-known companies started off with.

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I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to origin stories of businesses.

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So let’s just play a little game.

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-Great.

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-I’ll say the company.

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And Daniel, you try and come up with what was the original product.

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-Okay.

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Okay.

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-Okay.

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So first one: 7-Eleven.

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Oh, original product.

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Other than like a convenience store.

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Right?

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-Correct, because they existed before a convenience store.

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So all I know is that they were a gas station,

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and then they added this C store concept idea.

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So was it like some sort of serving or expansion of beverages or snacks?

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What was it?

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-No, it was actually ice.

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-Ice.

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-They started off.

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-Really?

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-It was just ice.

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They started off as the Southland Company in Texas

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back in the days of ice boxes in which they

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delivered ice blocks to people to put in there before refrigeration their ice box.

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And they found that people couldn’t come during their hours of work.

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So they started opening up earlier,

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at seven o’clock and staying open later till eleven.

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And they were the only people open late at night,

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and people said, “Well, we’re coming here to get our ice.

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Why can’t we get milk and bread and eggs from you, too?”

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So they started stocking those.

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And the rest is history.

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-I did not know that.

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That’s fantastic.

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-Yeah.

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7-Eleven.

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So open early,

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till late at night, and why not start selling various other items?

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-It took advantage of an opportunity.

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-Wow, I was way off.

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That was great.

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Thank you.

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Good.

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Next one.

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-Tiffany & Co.

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-Oh, Tiffany, the fantastic jeweler.

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-Yes.

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-What did they… what did they start with?

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You know, I’m not sure.

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-They’re known for those little blue boxes of…

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-Yes.

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Yes, exactly.

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-Expensive products.

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-And you can go on Fifth Avenue in New York and see it.

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And yes, it’s all of this.

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What was the original product, Peter?

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-Stationery.

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-Stationary.

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As in nice handwritten…

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-Yeah.

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-Stationary.

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-The stuff that really we don’t use as much anymore

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because we don’t write handwritten letters.

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Yeah, it was they started off as a stationery and fine goods.

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So they it was primarily paper with a few little leather knickknacks and things.

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But obviously, the knickknacks and things sold a lot better.

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So they pivoted into the jewelry behemoth.

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-This pivoting, we’re not going to necessarily talk about it today,

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but maybe we can talk about it again.

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I’m always amazed successful organizations, they pivot.

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They can pivot, and sometimes it means jettisoning their whole existence,

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what they were founded on.

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What made them even successful so that they can then adapt to the marketplace.

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That pivoting is critical.

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I love it because the transition, there’s a connection.

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Okay, do you have another one here?

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-Yeah, let’s do…

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We’ll do one more.

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Pixar.

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The animation studio that we know of.

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Toy Story, Monsters Inc.

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-Well, was it a special effect kind of thing?

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What, what problem were they originally solving before they got into animation?

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Because Steve Jobs helped create that years ago.

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So what was it?

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-He helped finance it after it kind of got up and rolling.

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It started off as… their original product was called the Pixar Image Computer.

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They sold hardware.

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And they made a computer that was specifically designed for medical imaging.

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So it had really high-end graphics.

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So they developed an animated short

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to be able to highlight how amazing their computer was.

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So the commercials, in essence,

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their marketing campaign

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is actually what now has made them billions and billions of dollars.

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Started off selling a computer.

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-This is great.

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This is great.

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-Yeah.

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-I love it.

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I love these gigantic pivots.

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And what they were known for then is not what they’re known for now.

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And we don’t look upon these companies as like

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they’re, what, cowardly or they where they made bad choices along no,

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they’ve sustained growth and adapted to the market

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and really optimized what they do best.

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-Yeah, it is.

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And they’re old examples.

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So like Tiffany & Co., that was late 1800s when we’re talking about that origin.

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7-Eleven or the Southland Company as it started, that was early 1900s.

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But Pixar, we’re talking 1980s, early 1980s.

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So these pivots continue to happen.

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It’s not just these legacy organizations that have been around for so long.

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Then we can even find newer examples of it.

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But it’s just kind of interesting.

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Are we so stuck in our ways that we are missing out

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on a tremendous opportunity for growth?

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-That’s great.

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You know, I’m working with the leadership team next week

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on an annual… they’re doing a lot of transformation,

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and I’m leading their annual leadership team,

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and I may want to incorporate some of those ideas,

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because it just illustrates… so, while they’re in the middle of a massive pivot

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as they’re adapting and adjust I mean, this is

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just what so many organizations are doing.

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And it’s important to recognize that these pivots, they’re not abnormal.

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It doesn’t mean that you failed.

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No, it’s really actually how you successfully embrace

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the pivot and define what it is.

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That’s powerful.

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-Because there’s always going to be factors that are different and change,

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and you have to adapt to and adjust to, whether it’s

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a product change.

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Maybe there’s a supply issue.

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Maybe it’s a personnel issue.

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Maybe it’s a market that’s become saturated.

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Now you need to move somewhere else.

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I mean, it’s being flexible.

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And during COVID, we talked a lot about leveraging crises

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and how, you know, crises make the status quo malleable.

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In essence, how you can change it.

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So you leverage that.

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So I think as we now kind of talk more about the transition into a new organization

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in a new role, and how leaders can do that,

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in many ways, it’s trying to leverage that pivot.

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What is that opportunity to have things be a little bit more malleable,

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to change, to adapt,

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without coming in guns blazing from day one?

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(laughing)

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-And okay, so let’s, let’s do that pivot for ourselves.

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From this fun game to now talking about first 90 days, what to do and what not to do.

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And just to set the stage, it’s really a matter of why the heck you were brought in.

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Why were you promoted?

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Why were you brought in from an external role?

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What is your mission to accomplish?

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Are you to transform?

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Are you trying to stay a long time?

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Are you trying to eke out 3% growth?

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Are you trying to accelerate with 15%, 20% plus percent growth?

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Are you needing to then reconfigure teams?

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So much of this depends on the context

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and how long are you interested in being in the role?

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How many bridges are you willing to burn?

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How many relationships are you not interested in sustaining?

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All of these are trade-offs, and there’s not necessarily a right or wrong here.

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It’s being able to make important choices along the way,

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to be able to accomplish what needs to be accomplished.

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And even there, are you accomplishing what you think you need to?

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Or are you accomplishing what’s aligned with your boss and the organization?

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And is it aligned with what their words are,

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or what their actions are?

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There is a lot of nuance here,

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and it’s not nearly as easy as is sometimes thought.

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(laughing)

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-Oh, it’s not.

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And it’s not a standard checklist for everybody.

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And not everybody’s going to come in and do it the exact same way.

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You’re still going to be you.

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And there’s not just the one way to do it.

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But I think what we’ve observed and noticed

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as we’ve coached so many people through these roles,

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and listened and interviewed folks who the good, the bad, and the ugly,

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as we start to hear these tales and stories,

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there are some principles that I think can be tremendously helpful

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to keep in mind as you’re charting your own course

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-Yeah.

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-through that.

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-Yeah.

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So, one principle is focusing on the others more than you.

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And that is such a hard one

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because typically you’re going you’re having gone through the recruiting process,

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which is all about selling yourself

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You got to make yourself look good.

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You got to sell yourself.

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And then, day one, you need to stop selling yourself as much.

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And you need to start listening and influencing through others

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and building the rapport and building the relationships.

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And that transition for some is really, really challenging.

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-Yeah.

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And it’s and it’s a a shift from you’re the one doing more of the talking

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to you’re doing more of the listening.

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And I think that’s just a powerful tip for individuals in this phase

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is you’re trying to learn so much about what’s going on in the organization.

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You’re trying to assess things.

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You’re trying to think about the culture.

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You’re trying to think about the relationships.

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And in many ways, the back of your mind, you’re comparing

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what you were told before day one,

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(laughing)

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during the interviews and other things,

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with the reality of what the existence is, and how that might change,

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depending on whether you’re talking to your peers

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on your team, whether you’re talking to your direct reports,

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or others throughout the organization.

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So it’s doing a lot of listening and not just coming out and saying,

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“Well, this is the way it should be done.’

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Especially if you add in, because this is the way I did it at

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fill in the blank legacy company that you just came from.

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So throwing that, this is the way we’ve always done it,

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or this is the way I used… is a

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just it’s a faux pas to avoid at all costs.

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-And so something to not do

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is to go in guns blazing in some way

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and say, “This is, I’m right, and you’re wrong.”

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And even go so far as to say, “You know what, you’re all idiots,”

246
00:12:52,083 –> 00:12:54,041
or “You’ve been doing it the wrong way,”

247
00:12:54,041 –> 00:12:57,125
or even well-intentioned, “This is all wrong.”

248
00:12:57,125 –> 00:13:00,958
“I have the right way of doing it, I’m the enlightened one.”

249
00:13:01,875 –> 00:13:07,083
Any aspect of that, unless it is a complete turnaround

250
00:13:07,083 –> 00:13:09,416
and you’re planning on firing everybody,

251
00:13:10,416 –> 00:13:15,458
it is not going to build a relationship-focused effort.

252
00:13:15,458 –> 00:13:18,958
And even a short term, it’s going to be challenging

253
00:13:19,250 –> 00:13:25,458
when you are the guy or the girl who has this idea, “I’m right and you’re wrong.”

254
00:13:25,750 –> 00:13:30,041
It is not a helpful way of entering into an organization.

255
00:13:30,250 –> 00:13:30,708
-Yeah.

256
00:13:31,041 –> 00:13:35,750
Cause you’re coming in, regardless of what your objective is long term.

257
00:13:36,500 –> 00:13:38,250
You need relationships.

258
00:13:38,666 –> 00:13:42,041
You need buy-in, you need support, and you need people

259
00:13:42,041 –> 00:13:45,583
who are going to follow and execute whatever vision you’re going to put in place.

260
00:13:46,250 –> 00:13:49,916
Because even if you fire an entire team, an entire department,

261
00:13:50,541 –> 00:13:54,000
there’s still going to be time before you get all those seats filled.

262
00:13:54,458 –> 00:13:55,666
And who’s going to be doing it?

263
00:13:55,666 –> 00:13:58,875
I mean, how often do you hear about somebody coming in and just laying off,

264
00:13:58,875 –> 00:14:00,416
“All right, all 40 of you gone.”

265
00:14:01,375 –> 00:14:04,208
I mean, that just doesn’t happen as often.

266
00:14:04,666 –> 00:14:08,583
So you need people to believe in what you’re doing.

267
00:14:08,583 –> 00:14:10,250
And they’re not going to believe in somebody

268
00:14:10,250 –> 00:14:12,416
who’s not even giving them the opportunity

269
00:14:13,375 –> 00:14:14,750
to know what’s going on.

270
00:14:15,791 –> 00:14:17,083
To voice an opinion.
-Oh, ok.

271
00:14:17,458 –> 00:14:21,000
-So, Peter, there are listeners right now hearing this.

272
00:14:22,041 –> 00:14:26,375
And I’m sure some are thinking, “But what if I am the one who’s right?”

273
00:14:26,375 –> 00:14:28,166
(laughing)

274
00:14:28,166 –> 00:14:31,083
And these people are wrong!
-I was hired here!

275
00:14:31,625 –> 00:14:32,250
-Right.

276
00:14:32,500 –> 00:14:37,291
I’m the one with 20 years of experience in larger organizations or best practices,

277
00:14:37,291 –> 00:14:41,541
and I know, and I actually do have the answers.

278
00:14:42,791 –> 00:14:43,333
-Mm hmm.

279
00:14:43,333 –> 00:14:45,208
-How do we approach that?

280
00:14:46,958 –> 00:14:47,625
-Yeah.

281
00:14:48,375 –> 00:14:54,041
This is where a quote I remember hearing, Daniel, I think you and I heard the same

282
00:14:54,541 –> 00:14:59,958
presentation by General Colin Powell back many, many years ago.

283
00:15:00,541 –> 00:15:04,375
And I remember him saying a quote that he had on his desk.

284
00:15:04,375 –> 00:15:07,625
He said, “Of all manifestations of power,

285
00:15:07,625 –> 00:15:10,958
it is restraint that impresses men most.”

286
00:15:11,541 –> 00:15:16,041
And I think here is a time, particularly in those first couple of weeks,

287
00:15:16,625 –> 00:15:18,750
to demonstrate restraint.

288
00:15:19,541 –> 00:15:25,541
Even if you are 100% certain that your answer is the right one,

289
00:15:26,333 –> 00:15:28,125
give it at least a couple days.

290
00:15:28,125 –> 00:15:29,375
(laughing)

291
00:15:29,375 –> 00:15:32,916
Give it at least time to talk to people, to hear,

292
00:15:32,916 –> 00:15:40,083
and to hold your idea as a theory, a hypothesis to be tested.

293
00:15:40,541 –> 00:15:46,000
And then let the data from your interactions support

294
00:15:46,000 –> 00:15:49,208
or be humble enough to say maybe it needs to change.

295
00:15:49,500 –> 00:15:49,958
-Yeah.

296
00:15:50,666 –> 00:15:52,875
The restraint, such a great idea.

297
00:15:53,416 –> 00:15:56,458
And it reminds me of the change equation.

298
00:15:57,250 –> 00:16:01,125
And so there’s two variables and trying to create change

299
00:16:01,125 –> 00:16:06,541
you have the accuracy of the solution, and then you also have the buy-in.

300
00:16:07,041 –> 00:16:08,416
And oftentimes,

301
00:16:09,291 –> 00:16:12,208
we can be accurate or we can have a great idea,

302
00:16:12,208 –> 00:16:14,458
especially if somebody’s been around for a while,

303
00:16:14,458 –> 00:16:17,041
they’ve seen good practices in other places.

304
00:16:17,458 –> 00:16:22,291
And yet, the best idea put into a new situation without buy-in,

305
00:16:22,750 –> 00:16:24,166
it ain’t going anywhere.

306
00:16:24,541 –> 00:16:26,416
It’s not going to get roots.

307
00:16:26,416 –> 00:16:29,916
It’s not going to, whatever metaphor you want to do, doesn’t get legs.

308
00:16:29,916 –> 00:16:31,166
It’s not going to move.

309
00:16:31,791 –> 00:16:37,250
And so to your point, showing restraint, understanding,

310
00:16:37,666 –> 00:16:43,916
and whether you have confidence that the solution you have is a good idea.

311
00:16:45,041 –> 00:16:49,375
You’re going to need to understand the context and the situation,

312
00:16:49,375 –> 00:16:53,500
the buy-in, the implications, the unintended consequences.

313
00:16:53,750 –> 00:16:54,791
What’s the skill?

314
00:16:54,791 –> 00:16:56,708
What are the skills that you have to work with?

315
00:16:56,708 –> 00:16:57,708
What are the resources?

316
00:16:57,708 –> 00:16:59,166
What’s the actual timing?

317
00:16:59,500 –> 00:17:05,208
All of these things are very different than perhaps what you’ve done in the past,

318
00:17:05,541 –> 00:17:07,208
in terms of implementing.

319
00:17:07,416 –> 00:17:14,250
And yet we can dismiss and discount this buy-in part of the change equation so much.

320
00:17:14,750 –> 00:17:21,458
And so, what not to do is to come in and believe that your ideas will be so,

321
00:17:21,458 –> 00:17:24,958
not only are they going to be amazingly wonderful,

322
00:17:25,375 –> 00:17:31,500
but it’s going to be easy or straightforward to implement in some way.

323
00:17:31,750 –> 00:17:32,500
No.

324
00:17:33,625 –> 00:17:34,208
-Yeah.

325
00:17:35,166 –> 00:17:36,916
Oh, it’s such a good point.

326
00:17:37,083 –> 00:17:41,875
So I think we’ve established that fact that come in,

327
00:17:41,875 –> 00:17:46,500
spend that first little bit of time learning more about the organization,

328
00:17:47,291 –> 00:17:51,250
using some professional humility about what you think should be going on.

329
00:17:52,000 –> 00:17:54,875
And then you’re able to prioritize really what those next steps are

330
00:17:54,875 –> 00:17:56,375
as you’re getting some buy-in.

331
00:17:56,958 –> 00:17:59,291
I think a next step we can talk about,

332
00:17:59,291 –> 00:18:03,000
which isn’t necessarily you have to accomplish the first before you get to this one.

333
00:18:03,000 –> 00:18:06,083
This is really more of a simultaneous thing to keep in mind.

334
00:18:06,541 –> 00:18:11,750
It’s spending that time identifying where who are the key decision makers?

335
00:18:12,125 –> 00:18:14,916
Who are these relationships that I need to build?

336
00:18:15,500 –> 00:18:19,250
Where might have there been some challenges for people

337
00:18:19,250 –> 00:18:21,916
who had previously been in my shoes,

338
00:18:21,916 –> 00:18:26,333
where there may have been some strained relationships across an organization.

339
00:18:26,833 –> 00:18:29,666
Looking at my own team, you know, and other things.

340
00:18:29,666 –> 00:18:33,625
So it’s really a focus on the relationship side of it.

341
00:18:34,333 –> 00:18:36,833
-And that relationship side takes time.

342
00:18:37,166 –> 00:18:42,416
It takes a lot of not just conversation one time, but multiple times.

343
00:18:42,708 –> 00:18:47,166
And oftentimes, we recommend doing that relationship mapping activity

344
00:18:47,166 –> 00:18:50,666
where, on a piece of paper or whiteboard, you put yourself in the middle.

345
00:18:50,666 –> 00:18:55,708
You identify all of the various key people you need to work with,

346
00:18:55,708 –> 00:19:00,541
those on your team, your peers, your boss, kind of like satellites off of you.

347
00:19:00,750 –> 00:19:04,958
And then you can strategically focus on each of these people,

348
00:19:04,958 –> 00:19:08,958
building a relationship around what is important to them.

349
00:19:10,000 –> 00:19:14,583
And one of the things not to do is to treat everybody the same

350
00:19:15,041 –> 00:19:19,208
in terms of what they value, what they think is important.

351
00:19:19,208 –> 00:19:23,375
Because that is what gets people into trouble when they view their team

352
00:19:23,375 –> 00:19:27,125
as thinking and needing the same things as their peers or their boss.

353
00:19:27,375 –> 00:19:30,458
And each of those relationships are going to be very different.

354
00:19:30,625 –> 00:19:32,166
And you want to understand.

355
00:19:32,166 –> 00:19:33,916
And then you go one more step,

356
00:19:33,916 –> 00:19:37,208
understanding the strengths that each person does bring.

357
00:19:37,750 –> 00:19:40,958
And figuring out how that meshes up against the skill sets

358
00:19:40,958 –> 00:19:42,791
that you believe are important,

359
00:19:42,791 –> 00:19:46,208
and what can be done to accomplish this together.

360
00:19:46,541 –> 00:19:49,583
And usually around this time, people start saying,

361
00:19:49,583 –> 00:19:54,375
“Yep, I don’t think she’s going to be a keeper or he’s going to be a keeper.”

362
00:19:55,375 –> 00:19:59,833
But you want to then work toward what can you leverage.

363
00:20:00,000 –> 00:20:02,916
How can you then bring out the best in each person?

364
00:20:03,291 –> 00:20:05,750
And whether it’s in that same role or a different role.

365
00:20:05,916 –> 00:20:10,875
So as you’re diving in, it’s evaluating the people, the resources,

366
00:20:10,875 –> 00:20:13,416
and getting to know them as they get to know you.

367
00:20:13,416 –> 00:20:13,916
-Yeah.

368
00:20:14,416 –> 00:20:19,791
And there’s so much that comes as a benefit to this new leader as you do that.

369
00:20:20,166 –> 00:20:24,666
The institutional knowledge and history and context

370
00:20:24,666 –> 00:20:28,500
and other things that you’re going to gather as you have these conversations.

371
00:20:28,875 –> 00:20:33,750
But just to pull on that thread you highlighted, because it’s absolutely critical,

372
00:20:34,083 –> 00:20:37,041
you cannot treat everybody the exact same way.

373
00:20:38,375 –> 00:20:40,583
And it doesn’t mean you think less of people.

374
00:20:40,833 –> 00:20:46,125
It’s actually you think more of them because you are actually trying to interact with them

375
00:20:46,125 –> 00:20:48,333
at the level that is most helpful to them.

376
00:20:49,125 –> 00:20:53,750
And is most… but you’re seeking what are their needs and how do I help fulfill that?

377
00:20:54,291 –> 00:20:57,916
And in that process, you’re also identifying what are your needs from them.

378
00:20:58,375 –> 00:21:00,125
So that conversations can occur.

379
00:21:00,583 –> 00:21:04,208
-What about this expectation management idea?

380
00:21:04,500 –> 00:21:06,583
Because everybody is going to have…

381
00:21:07,625 –> 00:21:11,625
You have your own idea of what needs to happen, what’s going on.

382
00:21:11,791 –> 00:21:14,666
Everybody else on the team has their own idea.

383
00:21:15,125 –> 00:21:18,916
And we’ll do, and many of our listeners probably are familiar with

384
00:21:18,916 –> 00:21:22,750
the new leader transition process of

385
00:21:22,750 –> 00:21:24,375
you have three stages.

386
00:21:24,541 –> 00:21:28,416
You have, and it’s often facilitated by an external person

387
00:21:28,416 –> 00:21:31,500
or a head of HR or something like this,

388
00:21:32,500 –> 00:21:35,458
where you have seven or eight key questions,

389
00:21:35,458 –> 00:21:39,791
you ask the team these questions without the leader present.

390
00:21:40,041 –> 00:21:41,916
You record their answers.

391
00:21:41,916 –> 00:21:44,625
What best advice you would have for this person?

392
00:21:44,625 –> 00:21:47,750
What should this person need to know to be successful?

393
00:21:47,750 –> 00:21:49,833
What have we tried in the past?

394
00:21:49,833 –> 00:21:50,625
Etcetera.

395
00:21:50,958 –> 00:21:51,416
And then

396
00:21:51,958 –> 00:21:56,916
the facilitator goes and shares this information with the leader.

397
00:21:57,625 –> 00:22:00,375
And then the third step is the leader comes back and says,

398
00:22:00,375 –> 00:22:03,416
“Hey, thank you. I’ve been able to digest all of this.

399
00:22:03,416 –> 00:22:04,458
Here are some thoughts.”

400
00:22:04,708 –> 00:22:09,125
And “Let’s figure out ways we can partner and then work together

401
00:22:09,125 –> 00:22:10,666
to accomplish a lot of these things.”

402
00:22:10,666 –> 00:22:14,375
It’s a great way of accelerating that transition period.

403
00:22:14,916 –> 00:22:21,000
But the point is to clarify these expectations as quickly as possible.

404
00:22:21,541 –> 00:22:23,375
-Oh, it’s so true.

405
00:22:23,375 –> 00:22:26,000
And as I’ve facilitated many of these,

406
00:22:26,333 –> 00:22:31,000
there is a question that seems to almost always come up from the team

407
00:22:31,000 –> 00:22:32,333
about their new leader.

408
00:22:32,833 –> 00:22:36,791
And it’s this question: What have you been told about us?

409
00:22:37,708 –> 00:22:38,875
-That’s good.

410
00:22:38,875 –> 00:22:40,541
-What directions?
(laughing)

411
00:22:40,958 –> 00:22:41,916
What’s the goal?

412
00:22:41,916 –> 00:22:46,500
Like, what are the marching orders you’ve been given from whoever the leader was

413
00:22:46,500 –> 00:22:49,875
that hired this person, whether it’s the CEO or whatever it might be?

414
00:22:50,333 –> 00:22:53,833
Of what needs to change is, you know, what changes need to come?

415
00:22:54,416 –> 00:22:59,041
And what is actually at the essence of that question is

416
00:23:00,458 –> 00:23:05,708
you being here as our new leader, what’s it going to do to me?

417
00:23:06,875 –> 00:23:09,000
What’s the impact it’s going to have on me?

418
00:23:11,375 –> 00:23:11,833
-Yeah.

419
00:23:11,958 –> 00:23:14,041
-And that… you can’t forget the…

420
00:23:14,458 –> 00:23:19,708
so many change principles come down to that individual personal change.

421
00:23:19,708 –> 00:23:21,041
That’s what people care about.

422
00:23:21,625 –> 00:23:22,791
So it’s being aware of that.

423
00:23:23,291 –> 00:23:23,750
-Yeah.

424
00:23:24,750 –> 00:23:25,708
That’s a great point.

425
00:23:25,708 –> 00:23:32,541
And so the other aspect here is what not to do is only listen.

426
00:23:33,500 –> 00:23:38,291
Because sometimes leaders can be so empathetic or so understanding

427
00:23:38,291 –> 00:23:42,875
or so just kind of in intake mode for so long

428
00:23:43,500 –> 00:23:50,583
that they also are not like focused on acting and doing stuff.

429
00:23:50,958 –> 00:23:53,083
But yet, how do you balance some of this?

430
00:23:53,083 –> 00:23:57,291
So what not to do is spend all 90 days just listening.

431
00:23:58,041 –> 00:24:00,791
And that’s the tricky thing to be able to balance.

432
00:24:00,791 –> 00:24:05,125
So, Peter, what do you do to balance that?

433
00:24:05,458 –> 00:24:08,958
Because I mean, you don’t want to do too many changes, or do you?

434
00:24:10,958 –> 00:24:13,666
Well, and this goes back to something we were saying in the beginning.

435
00:24:13,666 –> 00:24:16,916
There’s not the one solution for everybody.

436
00:24:17,291 –> 00:24:18,708
And it takes that skill.

437
00:24:18,708 –> 00:24:20,250
It takes being able to listen.

438
00:24:20,500 –> 00:24:24,291
But let’s say you’re going through and you’ve been there a week or two or three,

439
00:24:24,291 –> 00:24:27,250
and you’re seeing the same problem come up.

440
00:24:27,791 –> 00:24:29,458
You’re seeing that there’s a challenge.

441
00:24:30,500 –> 00:24:34,666
There’s no rule that you can’t do anything until you’ve been there 90 days

442
00:24:34,666 –> 00:24:36,291
to make a drastic decision.

443
00:24:37,166 –> 00:24:41,583
No, in fact, that would be an erroneous thought, I’d say, wipe from your mind.

444
00:24:41,958 –> 00:24:45,708
If there seems to be a very clear action that needs to be taken,

445
00:24:45,708 –> 00:24:50,416
regardless of how long you’ve been there, take the initiative to do it

446
00:24:52,958 –> 00:24:56,541
You have to look because also during these first 90 days,

447
00:24:56,541 –> 00:24:58,458
you are making an impression,

448
00:24:59,750 –> 00:25:03,500
an impression that needs to be based on some action as well.

449
00:25:03,958 –> 00:25:07,125
So it’s looking at what are some of the low hanging fruit?

450
00:25:07,625 –> 00:25:11,500
What are some of the again, we’re not trying to fire or restructure

451
00:25:11,500 –> 00:25:15,666
the entire department in the first 10 days.

452
00:25:16,666 –> 00:25:20,041
But are there some smaller, more lower hanging,

453
00:25:20,041 –> 00:25:23,583
more impactful type decisions that can be made?

454
00:25:24,083 –> 00:25:26,041
And don’t be afraid to do it.

455
00:25:26,708 –> 00:25:31,333
And in that process, what a great way to build a relationship,

456
00:25:31,333 –> 00:25:36,083
especially with your new leader, saying, “Hey, here’s something I’m noticing.

457
00:25:36,083 –> 00:25:39,125
This seems to be pretty clear over the first couple of weeks.

458
00:25:39,916 –> 00:25:41,833
Is this what you’ve noticed as well?

459
00:25:42,375 –> 00:25:44,625
And here’s the solution that I’m proposing.

460
00:25:44,625 –> 00:25:46,500
Here’s what I’m thinking about doing.”

461
00:25:47,250 –> 00:25:50,291
What a great way to build that relationship.

462
00:25:52,708 –> 00:25:56,583
-Yeah, it’s important to be able to clarify what are those quick wins,

463
00:25:56,583 –> 00:25:58,125
those short-term wins.

464
00:25:58,500 –> 00:26:00,041
And some of those wins

465
00:26:00,583 –> 00:26:06,375
they are needed to be able to showcase your expertise, to build a sense of confidence.

466
00:26:06,625 –> 00:26:09,583
And some of those wins might be developing plans.

467
00:26:10,250 –> 00:26:12,625
They might be developing scenarios.

468
00:26:12,833 –> 00:26:19,833
So you’re reminding me of a chief digital officer I was coaching just as he joined.

469
00:26:20,291 –> 00:26:24,250
By month two, he had been asked for his thoughts,

470
00:26:24,250 –> 00:26:28,291
and he was able to put together a four or five page deck

471
00:26:28,291 –> 00:26:34,458
to be able to showcase a couple different options of reorganizing the marketing group.

472
00:26:34,833 –> 00:26:36,750
And that’s what was requested.

473
00:26:37,041 –> 00:26:38,958
That was eventually what was needed

474
00:26:38,958 –> 00:26:41,291
six to nine months later when they implemented it.

475
00:26:41,625 –> 00:26:46,333
But he was able to showcase early on that he didn’t just have one answer.

476
00:26:46,666 –> 00:26:49,083
He had several different possible scenarios,

477
00:26:49,083 –> 00:26:53,916
and he was open to discussing and talking about it with the CEO early on,

478
00:26:53,916 –> 00:26:55,791
which helped showcase

479
00:26:56,166 –> 00:27:00,916
he was able to see that vision and then build that quick win with the CEO

480
00:27:00,916 –> 00:27:03,666
that they were able to partner together on it.

481
00:27:03,666 –> 00:27:07,250
And then ultimately, they were able to bring in the chief HR officer

482
00:27:07,250 –> 00:27:10,125
and get it implemented in the coming months.

483
00:27:10,125 –> 00:27:13,583
But that’s just one example versus coming in and saying,

484
00:27:13,583 –> 00:27:16,625
“Yeah, all of these problems are in marketing.

485
00:27:16,625 –> 00:27:21,083
And by day sixty or day ninety, we’re making changes.

486
00:27:21,083 –> 00:27:23,125
These people are gone. This is—”

487
00:27:23,125 –> 00:27:26,166
And it just didn’t make sense for that occasion.

488
00:27:26,166 –> 00:27:26,708
-Mm hmm.

489
00:27:26,708 –> 00:27:30,666
-And that would have been way too strong for that.

490
00:27:30,708 –> 00:27:34,500
And he needed to be able to get alignment and partners first.

491
00:27:34,750 –> 00:27:35,291
-Yeah.

492
00:27:35,291 –> 00:27:39,000
It’s a great point, highlighting that some of the actions needed

493
00:27:39,000 –> 00:27:43,625
are actually the identification of plans to consider.

494
00:27:44,125 –> 00:27:46,250
It doesn’t mean the plan has to be executed

495
00:27:46,250 –> 00:27:49,458
by day 45 or day 50 or whatever it might be.

496
00:27:50,541 –> 00:27:54,458
So let’s let’s as we’re talking about this transition,

497
00:27:54,458 –> 00:27:58,166
there’s, I think, a natural thing that can happen to many leaders

498
00:27:58,166 –> 00:28:02,916
as you’re trying to build comfort with the new organization, build confidence.

499
00:28:03,333 –> 00:28:09,500
And it’s the favorite or the hobby interest in your role.

500
00:28:10,125 –> 00:28:10,541
-Ooh, nice.

501
00:28:10,541 –> 00:28:12,875
-Recognizing that there are so…

502
00:28:13,541 –> 00:28:18,333
Well, I’d say most roles have a broad array of activities.

503
00:28:18,875 –> 00:28:23,416
But we might be drawn to one particular area because maybe that’s our wheelhouse.

504
00:28:23,416 –> 00:28:26,458
Maybe that’s what we came up through the ranks doing.

505
00:28:26,750 –> 00:28:29,250
Or it’s just more interesting to us.

506
00:28:29,791 –> 00:28:36,333
How do we fight that, you know, tendency to just focus on a portion of our job

507
00:28:36,333 –> 00:28:38,375
as opposed to the entire role?

508
00:28:39,375 –> 00:28:42,833
-Yeah, you reminded me a COO I was working with.

509
00:28:43,208 –> 00:28:45,708
His background had been in sales.

510
00:28:46,500 –> 00:28:50,041
And we all know sales is critical for organizations.

511
00:28:50,250 –> 00:28:55,041
As he joined a new organization, he naturally focused on sales.

512
00:28:55,375 –> 00:29:00,625
And he visited all of the different sales reps throughout the country extensively,

513
00:29:00,625 –> 00:29:01,791
going out with them.

514
00:29:01,791 –> 00:29:03,333
Great, he got to know them.

515
00:29:03,833 –> 00:29:04,583
However,

516
00:29:05,166 –> 00:29:07,291
he was also over operations.

517
00:29:08,083 –> 00:29:12,916
And the operations side needed a lot more of his attention.

518
00:29:12,916 –> 00:29:15,333
He was also over all the call centers.

519
00:29:15,833 –> 00:29:19,458
And he needed to spend a lot more time and attention.

520
00:29:19,458 –> 00:29:22,791
And so he had to adapt and get out

521
00:29:22,791 –> 00:29:27,666
and noticing how easily he kept gravitating to sales issues.

522
00:29:27,958 –> 00:29:30,500
Because those are the problems he liked to solve,

523
00:29:31,000 –> 00:29:35,208
versus focusing on operations or call center or customer service,

524
00:29:35,208 –> 00:29:41,541
of which was fully in his purview, but he needed to keep building up his interest,

525
00:29:42,125 –> 00:29:46,916
and his attention, to all of these issues in front of him,

526
00:29:46,916 –> 00:29:48,958
and not just the ones that he liked.

527
00:29:49,666 –> 00:29:50,416
-Oh, it’s so needed.

528
00:29:50,416 –> 00:29:53,666
And that example we’ve seen time and time again

529
00:29:54,333 –> 00:29:58,458
in various roles and individuals that we’ve worked with.

530
00:29:59,083 –> 00:30:00,500
It’s hard to fight that.

531
00:30:00,500 –> 00:30:02,791
So it takes that intentionality.

532
00:30:03,583 –> 00:30:10,125
Intentional focus on checking our interests, checking where our focus areas are.

533
00:30:10,500 –> 00:30:14,875
And it’s making sure you’re, in many ways, you’re keeping that job description,

534
00:30:14,875 –> 00:30:16,500
that entire role,

535
00:30:17,166 –> 00:30:20,208
portfolio open in front of you.

536
00:30:20,208 –> 00:30:22,916
So you’re checking your actions against that,

537
00:30:23,458 –> 00:30:24,125
-Yep.

538
00:30:24,125 –> 00:30:25,125
-as you’re going through.

539
00:30:26,500 –> 00:30:32,041
You know, the other thing not to do is to then assume your boss,

540
00:30:32,750 –> 00:30:36,000
they process information the same way you do.

541
00:30:36,000 –> 00:30:38,208
(laughing)

542
00:30:38,208 –> 00:30:40,250
Because one of the most important relationships

543
00:30:40,250 –> 00:30:42,958
is developing that rapport with your boss.

544
00:30:43,333 –> 00:30:44,916
And if it’s remote,

545
00:30:45,375 –> 00:30:49,250
you know, and you need to be more intentional and to understand:

546
00:30:49,250 –> 00:30:52,208
is your boss a person who likes a pre-read?

547
00:30:52,958 –> 00:30:58,208
Or does your boss the kind of person who likes to brainstorm in the moment?

548
00:30:58,875 –> 00:31:03,583
Or is your boss the kind of person who expects you to come with solutions

549
00:31:03,583 –> 00:31:06,625
and to then just inform her of them?

550
00:31:07,125 –> 00:31:10,083
There’s so many different ways of going about it.

551
00:31:10,416 –> 00:31:13,541
And for you to make sure that you’re open

552
00:31:13,541 –> 00:31:17,875
to the different styles of processing information and talking through things.

553
00:31:18,125 –> 00:31:19,666
And do they like text?

554
00:31:19,666 –> 00:31:20,708
Do they like Teams?

555
00:31:20,708 –> 00:31:22,000
Do they like email?

556
00:31:22,000 –> 00:31:23,291
What’s their go-to?

557
00:31:23,291 –> 00:31:26,166
Are they the kind of person who likes to process and think at

558
00:31:26,166 –> 00:31:28,458
10 o’clock or 11 o’clock at night

559
00:31:28,750 –> 00:31:30,875
and then they’ll send out lots of messages?

560
00:31:31,125 –> 00:31:35,000
Are they expecting a response at 11:05 from you?

561
00:31:35,416 –> 00:31:38,958
Or can seven o’clock or eight o’clock or nine o’clock the next morning

562
00:31:38,958 –> 00:31:40,333
be totally sufficient?

563
00:31:40,541 –> 00:31:41,458
And what does this mean?

564
00:31:41,458 –> 00:31:43,541
Is it simply thank you and I’ll get back to it?

565
00:31:43,541 –> 00:31:44,625
Or I need…

566
00:31:44,625 –> 00:31:50,750
There’s lots of different patterns of communication and information processing

567
00:31:50,750 –> 00:31:52,375
that also needs to be clear.

568
00:31:52,375 –> 00:31:55,333
Yes, with your boss, and then, of course, with your people.

569
00:31:55,625 –> 00:31:57,791
Oh, it’s so important to do that,

570
00:31:57,791 –> 00:32:01,541
and making sure you are not treating them the same way

571
00:32:01,541 –> 00:32:03,958
that you had been used to treating your prior boss.

572
00:32:04,708 –> 00:32:09,875
And that it takes that stop, that pause, to say, wait a minute,

573
00:32:10,500 –> 00:32:12,958
I’ve fallen back into a pattern of interaction,

574
00:32:12,958 –> 00:32:17,125
but is this pattern actually what’s effective for this new relationship?

575
00:32:17,333 –> 00:32:21,875
And that’s generalizable to so many different relationships, but there’s that intentionality.

576
00:32:22,333 –> 00:32:25,916
And I think as we think about intentionality, as you are new,

577
00:32:26,541 –> 00:32:32,750
odds are your calendar is not completely filled every second on day one of your role.

578
00:32:33,166 –> 00:32:37,541
And in fact, you may find yourself with a little bit more space in your calendar

579
00:32:37,541 –> 00:32:42,041
over those first few weeks as you’re onboarding, as you’re getting all those things.

580
00:32:42,333 –> 00:32:47,166
And I’d say take advantage of that open time to document

581
00:32:47,875 –> 00:32:51,375
your thoughts, your goals, your observations.

582
00:32:52,041 –> 00:32:56,375
I think that’s also a way to help keep it from just spilling out of your mouth,

583
00:32:56,375 –> 00:32:57,958
(laughing)

584
00:32:57,958 –> 00:33:00,291
is if you’re recording it somewhere,

585
00:33:00,791 –> 00:33:04,125
even some things of like, wow, I’m noticing this, I’m noticing—

586
00:33:04,333 –> 00:33:07,125
What a powerful thing to be able to reflect on after you’ve been there

587
00:33:07,125 –> 00:33:09,166
six, twelve, eighteen months,

588
00:33:09,708 –> 00:33:13,250
two, three years of what were some of your first observations?

589
00:33:13,541 –> 00:33:13,875
-Mmm.

590
00:33:13,875 –> 00:33:17,125
-What were some of the things you hoped you didn’t forget?

591
00:33:17,625 –> 00:33:23,250
So take a little bit of that time to also just track and document your own process,

592
00:33:23,250 –> 00:33:27,666
your own journey, those hypotheses and theories and observations you’re developing.

593
00:33:27,916 –> 00:33:28,750
It’s so helpful.
-Yeah.

594
00:33:29,000 –> 00:33:33,416
-The two other things I was going to mention, then we can wrap up,

595
00:33:33,416 –> 00:33:38,416
is the shadow boss idea, and you referenced this,

596
00:33:38,416 –> 00:33:41,958
and it’s making sure that you are not treating your new boss

597
00:33:42,333 –> 00:33:46,166
as if it was your previous boss, or your previous, previous boss,

598
00:33:46,166 –> 00:33:48,500
or your previous, previous, previous boss.

599
00:33:48,916 –> 00:33:52,125
Because too often we can have this shadow boss still.

600
00:33:52,458 –> 00:33:57,208
And we expect that this person is going to respond like our previous boss did.

601
00:33:57,791 –> 00:33:59,416
And they’re an entirely new person.

602
00:33:59,416 –> 00:34:04,833
So it’s helping shift that mindset, that reactions that you’re expecting.

603
00:34:05,083 –> 00:34:09,666
You want to challenge yourself to say, wait a minute, maybe there’s a different reaction,

604
00:34:09,666 –> 00:34:12,000
and let me understand what that looks like.

605
00:34:12,500 –> 00:34:16,500
And the other thing I’ll point out is transitioning to a new job

606
00:34:16,833 –> 00:34:23,083
is a fantastic opportunity to rewrite some of your work rhythms,

607
00:34:24,166 –> 00:34:26,166
some of your work patterns.

608
00:34:26,666 –> 00:34:31,708
What you don’t want to do necessarily is just go in and continue the same patterns

609
00:34:31,708 –> 00:34:37,166
that you were frustrated with that you did before, such as your morning routines.

610
00:34:37,875 –> 00:34:42,750
Or how you finished the day, or how you were on email 24 hours a day,

611
00:34:42,750 –> 00:34:44,625
or how you worked nonstop,

612
00:34:44,625 –> 00:34:48,958
or how you responded so quickly, or you didn’t respond quickly.

613
00:34:49,250 –> 00:34:52,250
All of these are working styles and patterns

614
00:34:52,250 –> 00:34:55,750
that a new job enables you to have a fresh slate,

615
00:34:56,166 –> 00:35:01,125
a fresh way of rewriting so that you can show up as your best self.

616
00:35:01,125 –> 00:35:05,083
You can adopt practices that maybe you’ve been wanting to,

617
00:35:05,083 –> 00:35:10,375
but for whatever reason haven’t been able to, so that you can be more productive

618
00:35:10,375 –> 00:35:14,250
and leverage more of your strengths and be more of an empathetic,

619
00:35:14,250 –> 00:35:18,541
understanding leader for your team as well as the rest of your life

620
00:35:18,541 –> 00:35:22,250
and aligning your life more with the values that you have.

621
00:35:22,708 –> 00:35:27,833
You do‚ It’s a fresh start for you, especially if you’re coming into a new organization.

622
00:35:28,666 –> 00:35:30,500
Nobody has a history with you.

623
00:35:30,916 –> 00:35:33,958
They don’t know what you used to do outside of what your resume

624
00:35:33,958 –> 00:35:36,625
or a few people may have shared in a reference.

625
00:35:37,166 –> 00:35:39,750
You’re able to be a new leader

626
00:35:40,416 –> 00:35:41,333
if you’d like.

627
00:35:41,708 –> 00:35:43,875
So it’s taking advantage of that opportunity.

628
00:35:43,875 –> 00:35:48,125
And then I’ll add one thing as well from just the human side

629
00:35:48,833 –> 00:35:52,250
and how physiologically we respond to change.

630
00:35:53,083 –> 00:35:56,791
As you are orienting yourself to a new organization,

631
00:35:56,791 –> 00:35:58,375
you’re meeting these new relationships,

632
00:35:58,375 –> 00:36:01,583
you’re learning the new processes and systems and all these other things,

633
00:36:02,083 –> 00:36:04,583
it takes a lot more cognitive horsepower.

634
00:36:05,166 –> 00:36:08,583
Like it takes a lot of extra mental thought and effort.

635
00:36:09,125 –> 00:36:12,041
You will most likely find yourself more tired,

636
00:36:12,041 –> 00:36:12,833
(laughing)

637
00:36:12,833 –> 00:36:15,500
even though you’re like, what have I really accomplished?

638
00:36:15,833 –> 00:36:20,250
It’s because you are taking in so much more information

639
00:36:20,250 –> 00:36:25,000
and you’re trying to synthesize that into the schemas, those thought processes,

640
00:36:25,000 –> 00:36:28,125
the patterns, the routines that you’ve been used to going through.

641
00:36:28,541 –> 00:36:34,041
So give yourself a little bit of a break if you do find yourself a little bit more tired,

642
00:36:34,041 –> 00:36:37,833
even though you might look at the calendar and not feel like you accomplished as much

643
00:36:37,833 –> 00:36:39,625
as you may have in your prior role.

644
00:36:40,041 –> 00:36:41,000
You’re doing a lot.

645
00:36:41,166 –> 00:36:43,416
It’s taking a lot more thought work.

646
00:36:44,833 –> 00:36:45,875
-That’s well said.

647
00:36:45,875 –> 00:36:46,458
Well said.

648
00:36:46,458 –> 00:36:47,250
Peter, thanks.

649
00:36:47,250 –> 00:36:50,583
It’s been a great conversation as we’re thinking through

650
00:36:50,833 –> 00:36:55,166
what not to do and what to do during your first 90 days.

651
00:36:55,416 –> 00:36:59,583
And listeners, thank you very much for spending the time with us today.

652
00:36:59,833 –> 00:37:04,791
Please like and subscribe and spend some time with us in future episodes

653
00:37:04,791 –> 00:37:08,666
as well as we think about and work on

654
00:37:08,666 –> 00:37:12,583
tips and practices to help you be successful as a leader.

655
00:37:12,583 –> 00:37:13,583
Thanks so much, everybody.

656
00:37:13,583 –> 00:37:14,208
Take care.

657
00:37:14,791 –> 00:37:17,916
If you like this episode, please share it with a friend or colleague.

658
00:37:18,083 –> 00:37:22,083
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659
00:37:22,583 –> 00:37:25,541
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660
00:37:26,208 –> 00:37:29,375
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661
00:37:29,375 –> 00:37:31,791
can help you grow your ability to lead effectively,

662
00:37:32,291 –> 00:37:34,791
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