Category Archives: First 90 Days on a Job

Dennis felt excited at this new recognition. He’d just been asked to take a considerable promotion.  He wasn’t new to leadership, but this was certainly a new position.  A stretch. He was moving into a position of greater responsibility. He now had five teams to oversee. Some of the people he didn’t even know.

Dennis knew in order to succeed at this new job, he needed extra preparation.  He didn’t have a lot of time to be up and running.  He had to learn the essentials of this new leadership position right away.

One of his first steps was to Google “first 90 days as a leader online resources.” There he found articles and resource books. “I wanted to follow the principle of ‘Be. Know. Do’,” said Dennis. “I didn’t want to shoot from the hip.”

To get himself up and running … Continue reading 9 New Leader Essentials – Get Up & Running Fast →

Client Craig Asks: Joel, after weeks of job searching, I just got hired by a fantastic company. I’m committed to a future with this company and I want to do everything right from Day One. What are your recommendations?

Coach Joel Answers: A new job is a wonderful opportunity. The temptation, however, after you’ve spent weeks or months on a job search, is to relax and enjoy feeling secure for a while. Not a good idea! Instead, start really working on Day One. What you need is a written action plan. Here’s what I would suggest.

1. Create communication guidelines.

Write down high-level guidelines to be implemented during the first week or two regarding the communications you want to have with your boss, company stakeholders, business partners, and your peers in the company.

2. Know the industry.

Study industry trends and compare them with what’s happening … Continue reading Your Action Plan Is Important When Starting a New Job →

Client Julie says: I’ve just accepted a job as manager of my department. I want to successfully navigate this new leadership role. What mistakes should I make sure to avoid?

Coach Joel answers: Becoming a manager probably marks a dramatic shift from your previous role. It may feel overwhelming. You’re being asked to apply a new skill set, and everyone is gaging your ability to handle the role. But avoid these 6 classic mistakes, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a great boss.

Ignoring the Big Picture

New managers might be tempted to dive into the daily grind before fully educating themselves on organizational vision, mission, and strategy. To guide and inspire their team, however, they need a strong grasp of these concepts. Thus, they should meet with leaders of the organization early on to get briefed on strategy and … Continue reading 6 Tips for New Managers →

You worked hard to get that promotion, but the work is not over yet—in fact, it’s really just beginning. Now you have to prove yourself—not just to your bosses, but also to the employees who will be reporting to you. They will be looking to you for an example to follow, and if you are not able to share your vision and get them on your side quickly, you could lose the respect and trust of your team members. One way to ensure that you get off on the right foot is by listening to keynote motivational speakers and leadership coaches and implementing the things they recommend to become a strong leader. Here are a few tips to establish yourself as a strong leader in your new position and become your boss’s new favorite employee.

Seek advice from the right people.

Leaders need advice too. Everyone benefits from having … Continue reading 5 Tips to Establish Yourself as Strong Leader at New Job →

Client Mary asks: Joel, I’ve just started my new job and it’s been only a few months. I feel like I could be making a better impression on my coworkers. I know there’s more I could be doing to really shine. How can I stand out, aside from producing good work?

Coach Joel answers: Many factors aside from sheer ability to get the work done influence the impression people make at work. Furthermore, an array of social factors affect ability to get the job done as a team. Become a superstar employee by mastering these methods for how to make a good impression at work, and you’re sure to stand out.

Once you’ve created a good impression of yourself at work, maintaining it is easy. People’s expectations toward others guide how they treat them—in other words, we all tend to behave the way others expect us to act.

… Continue reading How to Make a Good Impression at Work →

While it’s hard to walk into a new job, sometimes the most difficult jobs to take are in-company promotions.  You have the advantage, of course, of being familiar with the company and its policies.  You know the work and the people.  But… you need to transition from peer to boss.

In a job in a new company, you can more easily step into that leadership role, but you must get to know the people, the policies, the company and the workload.  How can you step into this new management job and be successful regardless of the new circumstances?

Here are seven steps to help—whether it’s a new job or an in-house promotion.

1. Talk to your boss.

You want to clearly understand your role.  What does he or she expect of you in this new position?  What are your added responsibilities?  You might ask the boss … Continue reading The Seven Steps to Success in Your New Management Job →

You’ve finally landed that dream job and you’re feeling terrific, right? Well, maybe not so much. Starting a new job can lead to all kinds of stress and anxiety. Will your new co-workers like you? Will you like them? Did you oversell yourself? Will you be able to do what you said you could do? You need a plan. If you go to work on Day One with a specific strategy in mind, you will greatly improve your chances of success.

See this job as an opportunity. Design a professional brand for yourself and then “act as if” you are that brand. Decide how you want your co-workers to see you. Words like positive, proactive, and creative come to mind. Your self-confidence will grow as you settle into the new environment. Treat this experience as a great adventure.

Do you want immediate new job success? You … Continue reading 6 Steps for New Job Success
in The First 90 Days →

High Employee turnover will dramatically impact the bottom line of your company, especially in the first 90 days of a new employee starting.

Add up the cost of temp staff, severance packages, unemployment benefits, advertising, recruiting and lost productivity. You’ll see it can cost from150%- 250% of the total compensation for each employee turnover.

Here are 5 steps to reduce employee turnover. Hire Top Talent.

Take the time, effort, and money to hire the best employee you can afford.  Excellent employees add much greater value to the company than an average worker.In the hiring process, be transparent about who you are, how you act, what you do.  Surprises aren’t good.  It’s much better for your new hire to know he’s expected to be in phone contact 24/7 in advance, than after he takes the job. One of the major causes of turnover in the first 90 days is … Continue reading Reduce Employee Turnover
The first 90 Days →