The Ultimate 30-60-90 Plan for Executive Leadership
Introduction
Congratulations on your new executive role! As you step into this exciting opportunity, it's essential to have a clear plan in place. After all, every new role involves a learning curve.
In this blog, we'll explore the benefits of a 30-60-90 day plan for new executives and how it can help you hit the ground running in your new leadership role.
Whether you're joining an organization as a new employee, or taking on a new position with your current company these strategies will help you excel as you lead your team towards future success.
The Power of 30-60-90 Day Plans
A good 30-60-90 plan will help you land on your feet, get the lay of the land, and start making a difference, quickly. Crafting your own action plan, or working with your hiring manager to do so, can set you up for long-term success.
The Importance of Structure
Everyone, and I mean everyone can benefit from a structured plan when they’re starting a new role. This is true for new hires, new managers, and especially for new executives. A new role comes with a ton of uncertainty and questions.
What will my day-to-day really be like?
How will I mesh with the executive leadership team?
What is my department like?
What will be expected of me that I don’t know about yet?
Setting Clear and Measurable Goals
Defining SMART Goals for Success
So, how should you go about setting goals for your 30-60-90? Set SMART goals. (Did you think I’d suggest stupid ones?) This is a great approach, and one I’ve used in my own career and when helping my coaching clients transition into new leadership roles.
SMART goals are:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-bound
Specificity helps in clarifying what needs to be achieved, making it easier to create actionable tasks and allocate resources effectively.
Measurability enables progress tracking and provides a clear indicator of success or areas that need adjustment.
Achievability ensures that the goals are realistic and attainable within the given timeframe.
Relevance means that the goals are aligned with the overall mission and objectives, preventing unnecessary diversions.
Time-bound adds a sense of urgency, motivating you to stay on track and meet the targets in your 30-60-90 timeline.
This structured approach to setting realistic goals ensures that each milestone within the plan is well-defined and aligned with the broader objectives of your first three months.
Aligning Personal Goals with Organizational Objectives
Another important consideration is how your personal goals align with the organization’s objectives. Think about what you’re looking to gain from the role—and how the business will benefit accordingly.
Are you looking to flex some new muscles, or keep honing old ones?
Is there a new area of the business you’re excited to learn more about?
Do you have a new idea for organizing communication or workflow in your own area of expertise?
What skills or relationships are you hoping to cultivate?
Thinking these questions through and incorporating them into your 30-60-90 is a great way to embrace your new role with enthusiasm. When you’re excited about what you can contribute, you’re winning, the business is winning—everybody’s winning!
Balancing Immediate Impact with Sustainable Growth
Quick wins are great (more on that in a sec.) But, your 30-60-90 shouldn’t only focus on immediate impact. This is about building a strong foundation for sustainable growth in the long-term. Don’t sacrifice easy wins for a solid foundation, or you’ll find yourself running out of steam a lot sooner than you might like.
Identifying Quick Wins
That said...you’ll definitely want to rack up some quick wins in your first few months. First impressions, while not necessarily permanent, do count! Brainstorm some easy wins that play to your strengths, or reach for some low-hanging organizational fruit. Here’s a few quick examples to get your thinking started:
Gain some positive visibility with a listening tour.
Find some “little things” that make people’s lives easier.
When I started as a Chief of Staff, I spent a little time swapping in better headsets for the customer service reps. It might seem silly, but they really appreciated that!
Look for process tweaks—are people doing things in a way that doesn’t make sense, but no one technically has the authority to say, “we’re going to stop doing this.”
The First Month: Building a Strong Foundation
Your first month is all about building a strong foundation for your new role. This is a learning phase and a key part of your onboarding process. Here are some key considerations for building that rock solid foundation in the first 30 days.
Making a Great First Impression: Engaging with Your New Team
Effective Communication Strategies with Team Members and Direct Reports
Use your first 30 days to establish effective communication strategies with your team members and direct reports. Start by scheduling one-on-one meetings with each team member. Use these as a chance to introduce yourself, understand their roles, and establish an open line of communication.
Next, evaluate how often your team meets and why. Consider how this cadence works with your work and leadership style. You might decide to leave things be for a little bit, make some minor tweaks, or sweeping changes. Whatever you decide, it’s a good idea to understand how your team communicates and establish objectives and expectations for communication.
These one-on-one meetings and communication channels are a great way to listen to your team’s input and concerns—and for them to hear your own goals. Taking these simple steps can go a long way toward establishing a culture of open dialogue and transparency. You’ll start your new role with a strong foundation for effective communication—so critical as you establish yourself and your personal leadership style.
Building Trust and Rapport with Colleagues
Building trust takes time. Which is why you should start right away! Ease into your new role and get the lay of the land. Take the time to listen to your new colleagues, but let them get to know you, too. It will be easier to work together if you get some insight into how your colleagues think, or what motivates them.
You won’t figure this all out overnight. But if you start off by doing what you say you’re going to do, and showing that you truly care about the team's success, it will pay dividends in the future.
Consider activities outside the office, like a walk at lunch, grabbing a coffee with a new colleague, or even a brisk round of Topgolf. Start building these new relationships day one so that you can nurture them over time. For more on trust in the workplace, check out Speed to Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey.
Assessing the Current State: Company Culture and Team Dynamics
Culture. Love it or hate it, it matters. A lot. If you’re moving into a new company, or even a new department, figuring out what kind of culture you’re walking into will be critical to your success as a leader.
Understanding the Existing Company Culture
Do some scouting—observe and listen actively. Pay close attention to how employees interact. What kind of language do they use? Is it formal, friendly and familiar, or a little bit of both?
Ask around, too. Have conversations with team members at all levels, seeking their perspectives on what makes the company unique and what they value most about its culture. Seek feedback from peers, superiors, or mentors who can provide valuable context and guidance.
While you’re at it, check out any company materials, such as mission and vision statements, or employee handbooks. See if the company has conducted previous cultural assessments.
By immersing yourself in the company culture during your initial weeks, you can make informed decisions and build strong relationships that will contribute to your effectiveness as a leader.
Evaluating Team Dynamics and Roles
Understanding how teams work together will be critical in your first 30 days. Look at how people work not only within their own team, but in collaboration with other teams and departments. Keep an eye out for what’s working and what’s not. Brainstorm some solutions or tweaks. But, unless you’re seeing some MAJOR red flags, don’t make any changes...yet. Save those for your second month.
The Second Month: Taking Initiative and Formulating Strategies
So, you’ve got the lay of the land. You’ve planted the seeds for some new relationships. Next, you’ll want to start figuring out how you want your team(s) to work, and how that work aligns with company goals.
Developing Specific Goals for the Team and Individual Members
Having spent the initial 30 days understanding the organization and building relationships, you’re ready to move onto leveraging your team's strengths and fostering a culture of empowerment.
Delegating Responsibilities and Empowering Team Members
Start with identifying each team member's strengths, weaknesses, and areas of interest to make informed delegation decisions. Evaluate their roles and responsibilities to see how they align with individual skills and development goals. While you do so, consider how you might redefine these roles, either now or in the future.
Encourage autonomy by letting your team members make decisions within a framework and with your support when needed. Use meetings and other channels to communicate expectations and provide feedback regularly. (This will help you ensure alignment with organizational objectives—more on that below.)
Empowering team members not only enhances their engagement and growth but also frees up your time to focus on strategic initiatives and other responsibilities, ultimately contributing to the long term success of the team and the organization.
Encouraging Professional Growth and Skill Development
While you’re delegating and empowering, keep an eye out for chances to help your team grow professionally.
What sort of skills do your team members possess that you might want to double down on?
What sort of skills could amplify their contributions, both as individuals and as a team?
Work closely with each team member to start crafting personalized development plans that align with their own aspirations and the organization's needs. Let your team know they’ll have access to training, resources, and mentorship opportunities as needed. This will help you foster a culture of continuous learning.
And—reinforce your commitment to the team’s growth on a regular basis. Recognize and celebrate their achievements!
Creating a Strategic Plan: Aligning with Company Goals
It’s time to start putting rubber to the road. How will you lead your team to contribute to the organization’s goals? What’s your high-level vision? And how will you achieve it, specifically?
Developing a Clear Vision
So far you’ve checked in with stakeholders—your team, your fellow leaders, and others. You’ve gathered a diversity of perspectives and insights. Now, it’s time to synthesize this information into a compelling vision for your team that aligns with the company's mission and long-term goals. But don’t just synthesize. Add your own twist too!
Next, craft a strategic roadmap. Outlines the actionable steps, timelines, and performance metrics needed to achieve this vision. Who will do what, and when will they do it? How will these actions make your vision a reality?
Engaging the Team in the Strategic Process
Share this roadmap with your team to foster alignment and a sense of purpose. Regularly communicate progress and adjustments as needed, ensuring everyone is on the same page and motivated to achieve the shared objectives. By setting a clear direction and empowering your team to contribute to its realization, you lay the groundwork for a successful and cohesive journey forward as a leader.
The Final 30 Days: Driving Results and Ensuring Long-Term Success
Measuring Progress and Making Necessary Adjustments
Month three is here! Time flies, huh? By now, you’ve got a comprehensive understanding of the organization's dynamics. You’ve implemented some strategic changes. Let’s see how they’re working out and how your performance goals are doing. Shift your focus to analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to fine-tune strategies and drive sustainable success. It's time to dig into the data!
Analyzing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Metrics
Use your KPIs to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies you've implemented, and to identify any emerging trends or issues. Regularly check with your team to gather insights from those on the front lines, as their feedback can be invaluable in shaping your decisions and providing context for the numbers that you might not have.
It might be early to make big changes, but consider how you might refine your KPIs in the short or mid-term. As you continue to collaborate with data experts and team members, check back in on your vision. Are you getting the right data to achieve the strategic goals you’ve outlined?
Identifying Successes and Areas Requiring Improvement
Careful analysis of KPI data allows you to pinpoint specific areas where your efforts have borne fruit. Be sure to celebrate those achievements and acknowledge your team’s hard work!
Equally important—it helps identify any gaps or underperforming areas, giving you the chance to address these proactively. Moreover, it demonstrates your commitment to evidence-based decision-making and a results-oriented leadership style. This helps establish your trust and reliability in the organization, which are so important as you establish yourself as a leader.
Moving into the final stretch of your first 90 days, this data-driven approach will not only guide your leadership but also empower you to make informed decisions and set the stage for sustainable growth and success in your new role.
Day 90 and Beyond
You’ve done a lot in your first 90 days. You’ve assessed. Strategized. Even implemented some changes. The future will be here before you know it. It’s never too soon to think about what you want it to look like!
Ensuring a Smooth Transition into Ongoing Operations
In your third month, spend some time looking ahead. How do you plan to keep up momentum on what you’ve achieved so far? Are you ready to fine-tune your process? Refine communication channels? What sort of challenges or issues can you anticipate resolving?
Keep building those relationships. They take time, and they’re critically important to effective leadership. If you’ve taken care to listen to others, and share your own perspective, those relationships will only get stronger over time. It’s well worth the effort, both personally and professionally.
Conclusion
Developing (and sticking to) a 30-60-90 day plan is a great way to make a lasting impact in your new role. Remember, your first days on the job are crucial, so use this opportunity to leave a great impression and set the foundation for your leadership journey. Here's to your continued growth and success as a leader within your organization!
If you’re looking for a little guidance on best practices or someone to bounce ideas off of as you develop your 30-60-90 day plan, consider reaching out to an executive leadership coach.
Reach out anytime for a free intro call.
And, check out my other resources on the value of executive leadership coaching. Help make your transition easier, set yourself up for long-term success in your new role.
About The Author
Emily Sander is an ICF-certified leadership coach with more than 15 years of experience in the business world and the author of Hacking Executive Leadership. She’s been featured in several print publications, online articles, and podcasts, including CEO Today Magazine, Leading to Fulfillment, and Leadership Powered by Common Sense.
Emily has a passion for helping business leaders reach their full potential. Go here to read her story from seasoned executive to knowledgeable coach. If you want to send Emily a quick message, then visit her contact page here.