New Leadership Role? Here's Your 90-Day Game Plan

Congratulations! Being asked to take over a new area of responsibility is a fantastic opportunity for a manager or leader. The situation allows you... possibly for the first time in a long time... to look at things with fresh eyes. Everyone gets a clean slate. It’s a situation built for growth and meaningful improvement.

First 30 Days: Preparing to Lead Your New Team

Step 1: Clear your mind of any current judgments, biases, and prejudices you already have about this new team. The biggest gift you can give your new team is a clean slate. This is true because the non-performers will get a fresh start and the performers will have to keep performing to impress you, the new leader.

Step 2: Make sure you understand the expectations for this transition. Why is the change being made? Why you? What does leadership want to happen going forward? How will the success of this transition be judged? You need to know the answers to these questions before you can begin serious planning.

Step 3: Make sure that your previous team is being cared for. What will be happening to them? Is it in their best interest? Have you made sure you have publicized their success adequately? Should someone on your former team be considered to take over for you? Have you said your “Thank You’s”? Is there something you could do to make sure their transition is successful? Remember, it was your team that got you promoted, not your boss.

Second 30 Days: Where is my Upside?

Here's what you need to identify, understand, and leverage during your transition. Over the course of your first 60 days you will begin to discover important things about your new team. This is the big question: Where is my growth going to come from?

Look closely for:

• Raw talent
• Offices, departments, or divisions trending poorly
• Market opportunities
• People who may be in the wrong role
• Real enthusiasts, who can engage and excite others
• Specialists
• Coaches who know how to train others
• Technically savvy people, especially those with unused capabilities
• Small segments of the business that are trending positively
• Project-oriented people who can work at a fast pace

These are your most obvious areas for growth. This is your low-hanging fruit.

Third 30 Days: Thinking Strategically

Your first 90 days will set the tone and direction for your new role. You will need to differentiate yourself from the person you replaced, and begin to earn buy-in from your new team. Here are the The 5 most important considerations to help you think strategically about your new leadership opportunity:

1. Doing things in a way your predecessor didn't.

Fresh approaches. New ideas. New delegations. New ways of thinking about the business you’re in. Clear expectations. You need to surprise people with your high expectations.

2. There are only three or four crucial measures for any business.

It doesn't matter whether we’re talking about a single department or a multinational corporation. There will always be just three or four metrics that will tell what is working and what is not. What are they for you?

3. Where are you going to get your growth or improvement?

This is the hardest part of the planning. There’s hidden upside in your new area of responsibility. Your predecessor couldn't see it, but it’s there. The team members know where the growth opportunities are, so interviewing them will give you some instant clarity. Giving them a platform and asking their opinions will also help you earn “buy in” from your new team. After that, you will need to dig into the numbers and see what they tell you. Inevitably, your growth opportunities will surface.

4. Where will you be firm, and where will you be flexible?

This is a way of asking what’s important to you. Every leader expects to have to show her teeth occasionally, but you have to pick your moments carefully. There will be a few no-compromise areas, but it cannot be every area or you will lose leverage and credibility.

5.  Go where the response is.

Pay close attention to who is engaged and “on board” with what you’re saying and doing. Trying to change people’s minds can be a losing proposition; it puts too much attention on the areas that are not working. Instead, focus your energy on the people who “get it.” Make sure they’re getting the attention, recognition, and resources to succeed. The others will catch on or they won’t, but they will not be the deciding factor in the enterprise.

Being a leader in a takeover role can be a high-wire act. You must premeditate every move. You will be under scrutiny from above and below, so you need to make sure the decisions you are making are an accurate reflection of your priorities and values as a leader. You can leverage these 90-day recommendations to ensure your success in your new opportunity.

Go in with high expectations, you are going to do great!

-Wally Schmader | November 17, 2020