The first 100 days in a new role are a critical time to understand the culture, build credibility and start making an impact. Even with the best of intentions, the operational demands can surface immediately and pull you in all directions. Landing well when an onslaught of priorities hits can be tough.
Here are 5 things that will help you be successful in your first 100 days:
1. Before you even start
You can be managing your reputation before day one. Your new colleagues will almost certainly look you up, so make sure your LinkedIn profile showcases you as you want to be seen. Consider writing a post thanking your previous team and sharing your highlights. Visibly leaving on a high will positively influence your new colleagues before you have even met them.
Use what you learned during the hiring process, don’t immediately forget about it once you accept the job offer. Why was the role vacant? What challenges were you hired to solve? Reflect on the language used in interviews and the job description, as this often signals priorities and cultural norms. Arrive informed, curious and intentional.
2. Regularly check in with yourself about where you are sitting on these three spectrums:
- Racing to action versus taking time to reflect. One of the biggest mistakes new leaders make is initiating significant changes too quickly. Build gaps into your calendar to process what you have seen and heard. As John Dewey put it: ‘We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.’
- Drawing on the past versus evolving for the present. Avoid saying ‘at my last company, we did X’ too often. It can feel like a criticism of the new organisation. Use your past experiences to shape the questions you ask, not the conclusions you jump to.
- Showcasing your expertise versus listening. Trust that by being appointed, the organisation already recognises your expertise. Long-term success will come from balancing listening with sharing your views – not feeling that you must ‘prove yourself’ in week one.
3. Own your induction
Do not wait for someone else to organise your induction. Identify your key stakeholders and initiate meetings with them. Get out into the operational areas early. Spending time with frontline colleagues builds respect and gives you real insights. Seek a Board perspective by meeting a Non-Executive Director or Trustee and work out how decisions are actually made. Is it formal and paper-driven, or more relationship-led? Identify where the power rests and do not underestimate anyone.
4. Be open and authentic
Communicate clearly what you stand for. Share your values, what drives you and how you think. It helps build trust quickly. Reach out to your team early and keep an open mind. Do not make assumptions about individuals or be swayed by what others tell you. Take a coaching approach to your initial meetings: ask questions and really listen. If you spot any low risk, high visibility quick wins along the way, make them happen (but be realistic that there might not be any!)
5. Agree what success looks like
Have an honest conversation with your line manager as soon as possible about what success looks like in the first 100 days, and do not be afraid to challenge if timelines are unrealistic. One C-suite Director of Change I worked with was asked by her CEO for a new strategy within a fortnight. She pushed back, explaining that she needed time with stakeholders before making recommendations. By setting expectations from week one, she created space to learn before she acted.
How you manage your first 100 days sets the tone for everything that follows. The leaders who make the strongest starts are rarely the ones who move the quickest. They are those that listen, engage widely and slow down.
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