First 90 Days? More like, first 10!

Remember those times when you were on a new role, and you started with a long induction, several conversations with stakeholders, and maybe after your first month, an in-depth 1:1 with your manager?

I changed my role 2 weeks ago, had a first 1:1 with my manager after a week, and delivered a strategic presentation to some key stakeholders after 10 days. Talk about a steep learning curve!!...

While I still have a long way to learn the ropes, here are some things that helped to "hit the ground running":

1. Having learning sessions with my predecessor. So much information! So many new tools to understand! So many notes scribbled furiously and becoming illegible after a week! So many folders to unzip and soooo many presentations to browse!
2. Mind Maps. Many Mind Maps along the way. First draft: "Ok, here's how I think the priorities look." One week later. "Hmm, no, now that I read that OTHER presentation, some things must have changed along the way, so now they're really focusing on THIS."
3. Thinking and talking. Bouncing ideas. Asking "how did that happen?" and "how did we reach that agreement?". Understanding the WHY because people often stop at the WHAT.
4. Being passionate about the role and the idea behind it. For more on how to understand "the idea", check points 1-3. Asking myself "How will I be able to make that idea happen? What will be my contribution?"
5. Understanding (and using) some of my strengths immediately. For me, delivering structured presentations comes easy. That helped while I was breathing consciously to fight off panic at the thought that 20ish people will listen to me, a newbie in the role, talk about the long term strategy.
6. Work on my development areas. 10 years after quitting sales, I still get chills at the thought of cold calling, or its corporate counterpart - writing to people I don't know and asking for a meeting. And then waiting for an answer. Please, coach me on internal networking. Or better, can you organize 10 calls for me? Here, I'll give you their names...

While the journey has just begun, it's definitely still early to preach about successful transitions. However, I'm slowly getting cozy in my "consciously incompetent" phase, relishing those moments where I find myself surprised that I actually know more than I thought.