The First 90 Days: Strategies for Success in Your New Job

Career

Embarking on a new job is an exhilarating journey, punctuated with unique challenges and opportunities. The first 90 days are not just about making a good impression; they are pivotal in determining your long-term success and integration into the company culture. How do you turn the initial uncertainty into a solid foundation for your career? 

This article delves into proven strategies that guide new employees through this critical period, ensuring they not only survive but thrive. From understanding corporate dynamics to establishing key relationships, these insights will prepare you for a robust start in your new role.

Setting Short-Term Goals

As you embark on your new role, establishing short-term goals is a fundamental step to early success. These goals should be not only SMART—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—but also FAST—Frequently Discussed, Ambitious, Specific, and Transparent. This dual-focused approach ensures your objectives are precise and adaptable to changing circumstances.

Begin by aligning your goals with the organization’s objectives. For instance, if your company aims to enhance operational efficiency, a SMART goal might be to reduce report processing time by 15% within the first three months. This goal should be discussed frequently with your supervisor to adapt as needed, reflecting the FAST principle.

In dynamic workplaces, it’s essential that your goals are ambitious yet achievable. Setting a goal to lead a small project might seem daunting, but it demonstrates your initiative and commitment to personal growth and organizational success. Ensure that these goals are transparent and visible within the organization to foster a collaborative environment and enhance accountability.

Achieving these short-term goals builds momentum and confidence, showcasing your capability and dedication to your new employer. By balancing the structured approach of SMART goals with the flexible and transparent nature of FAST goals, you position yourself to make impactful contributions quickly and efficiently.

Understanding Organizational Culture: Experts Weigh-In

Adapting to a new organizational culture is essential for seamless integration into your team. It’s important to observe and learn from the interactions, decision-making processes, and communication styles around you. Here’s how you can leverage insights from leadership experts like Simon Sinek to navigate and excel in your new environment:

  1. Embrace Teamwork: Leadership, as Sinek suggests, is not about individual achievements but about lifting everyone in the team. Effective leaders focus on empowering and developing their team members, fostering a collaborative environment where everyone contributes their best. This approach helps you align with the company’s culture by focusing on collective success over personal gain.
  2. Prioritize Trust and Safety: Sinek points out that creating a “circle of safety” within the organization encourages trust and cooperation among team members. When people feel safe, they are more likely to engage constructively and support one another, which is crucial for navigating a new work environment​.

Gary Vaynerchuk, a prominent business and branding expert, offers valuable insights into fostering a supportive and productive workplace culture. Here’s how you can apply these principles:

  1. Culture is a Religion, Not a Sermon: Vaynerchuk emphasizes that company culture isn’t just something to be talked about; it’s something to be lived and breathed by everyone in the organization. This means actively participating in and contributing to the culture every day.
  2. Care Immensely or Die: The shift towards a culture of care is significant. Showing that you care about the well-being and success of your colleagues can transform the workplace atmosphere and lead to greater collective success​.

Building a Network within the Organization

Successfully integrating into a new company and laying the groundwork for future success heavily depends on building a strong internal network. Here are refined strategies to help you establish and expand your connections within the organization:

  1. Engage with Your Immediate Team: Begin by connecting with your direct colleagues. Foster a culture of mutual support and feedback by actively participating in team activities and discussions. This helps you understand their roles better and demonstrates your commitment to collective success.
  2. Expand to Other Departments: As you become more comfortable within your team, reach out to peers in different departments. Engage in cross-departmental projects or committees to gain a broader understanding of the organization. 
  3. Participate Actively in Company Events: Whether it’s team-building exercises, training sessions, or social events, active participation is key. These activities are opportunities to interact with colleagues in a less formal setting, allowing you to forge connections that go beyond everyday work tasks, thereby deepening your network and reinforcing a culture of engagement.
  4. Join Informal Gatherings: Informal social gatherings, such as after-work meetups, can lead to stronger relationships. These settings often allow for more personal interactions, where you can truly get to know your colleagues.
  5. Offer and Seek Help: Show willingness to assist others and don’t hesitate to ask for help when needed. This reciprocal approach builds trust and demonstrates your investment in the team’s success.
  6. Leverage Professional Networking Platforms: Use platforms like LinkedIn to connect with your colleagues. Regularly engage with their posts and share relevant content to enhance your presence and contribution to the internal network, showcasing your proactive approach to professional relationship-building.
  7. Be Consistent and Authentic: Consistency in your networking efforts is crucial. Approach each interaction with genuine curiosity and respect for your colleagues’ expertise and contributions. Authentic relationships built on trust and mutual respect are more likely to endure and contribute to a positive organizational culture.

By implementing these strategies, you not only forge valuable connections within your company but also position yourself as an integral, proactive member of the organization, ready to contribute to and benefit from its collaborative culture.

Effective Communication Skills

Enhancing your communication skills in the workplace involves several strategic actions to ensure clear and effective exchanges. Here’s an expanded view on how to effectively improve communication based on current expert advice:

  1. Active Listening: One of the foundations of effective communication is active listening, which requires focusing fully on the speaker, understanding their message, responding thoughtfully, and remembering what was said. This approach helps avoid miscommunications and builds a stronger dialogue with colleagues​.
  2. Choosing the Right Communication Method: Depending on the urgency and complexity of the information, choose the most appropriate method to communicate. For regular updates, emails might suffice, but for more complex discussions, face-to-face or video meetings could be more effective.
  3. Clear and Concise Messaging: When conveying a message, keep it clear and concise to ensure it’s understood correctly. This involves thinking through what you want to say, planning your communication carefully, and avoiding unnecessary complexity​.
  4. Adapt to Online and Remote Communication: With the shift towards remote work, adapt your communication strategies to fit online platforms. This includes setting clear expectations, minimizing distractions during virtual meetings, and ensuring all team members, including remote ones, are involved and engaged.

Managing Time and Priorities

Managing time and prioritizing tasks effectively are crucial, especially in a new role where determining what’s urgent and important can be challenging. Here’s a more detailed strategy to help you manage time and priorities effectively:

  1. Identify Key Priorities: Start by understanding the most critical tasks that align with your role’s objectives and the organization’s goals. This might involve discussions with your manager to clarify expectations and determine which projects or tasks have the highest impact.
  2. Use of Time Management Tools: Implement tools and techniques that can help keep track of tasks and deadlines. Digital tools like calendars, task management software (such as Asana, Trello, or Monday.com), and even simple to-do lists can be extremely effective. These tools help visualize your day or week, making it easier to see where your time is going and adjust as needed.
  3. Set Clear Goals: Break down larger projects into manageable tasks and set short-term goals for each. This will help you focus on completing one segment at a time, making large projects less overwhelming and more achievable.
  4. Prioritize Tasks Based on Urgency and Importance: Use a priority matrix to categorize tasks based on their urgency and importance. This helps in focusing on what truly matters each day, ensuring that you are not just busy, but productive.
  5. Review and Adjust Regularly: At the end of each day or week, review what you’ve accomplished and what didn’t get done. Adjust your plans accordingly for the next period. This regular review helps you stay flexible and responsive to changes and ensures continuous improvement in managing your workload.
  6. Avoid Multitasking: Focus on one task at a time. Multitasking can reduce efficiency and lead to mistakes. Single-tasking ensures that you are giving your full attention to the task at hand, which can lead to better quality work and faster completion.

A Key Tip: Taking the Initiative and Demonstrating Value

Don’t shy away from taking the initiative on projects or offering to help with additional tasks. Demonstrating a proactive attitude shows your eagerness to contribute and can quickly establish you as a go-getter in the team. Be mindful, however, of not overextending yourself. It’s important to balance eagerness with a realistic understanding of your capacity.

Conclusion

Your first 90 days in a new job are a unique opportunity to build a solid foundation for your future at the company. You can successfully navigate this crucial period by setting achievable goals, understanding and adapting to the organizational culture, building strong internal networks, seeking feedback, and demonstrating your value. Approach this time with enthusiasm, openness to learning, and a commitment to excellence.

Remember to apply these strategies from day one as you enter your new role. Be proactive in your approach and open to the myriad of learning opportunities that will come your way. For more tips and guidance on career development, contact us at Professional Resume Writers. Here’s to a successful start in your new job!