Video: Step 6 Building Blocks
To begin Step 6, please watch the video above.
Early wins are all about credibility and confidence. People have more faith in people who have delivered. You want team members to have confidence in you, in themselves, and in the plan for change that has emerged. You want your boss to have confidence in you. Early wins fuel that confidence. to that end, identify and jump-start potential early wins by Day 60, and overinvest to deliver them by the end of your first six months- as a team!
Instructional Guidelines
Utilize New Job Prep Worksheet #6 in your work packet.
Think very hard about timing. Strongly suggest you click through here and read our latest thinking on the importance of using an imperative workshop to pivot from converging to evolving. The time leading up to day one, day one, and the early days in a new role leading up to an imperative workshop require most leaders to use different skills than they are used to using. Pay special attention to this. Essentially, you’re going to be seeding and testing your message with questions before the imperative workshop and then launching it after the workshop.
Reference the guidelines below to help you complete the worksheet.
Additional Option: Download and “play” this PowerPoint (hit “play from the start” in the “slide show” tab at the top of PowerPoint) to help you fill in Worksheet #6 on implementing building blocks: Step6-Buildingblocks.ppt
1. Burning Imperative (by Day 30)
Write down when you plan to pivot from converging to evolving and how you intend to do that.
o A workshop to co-create the future or consultative approach
o Consider who reports to whom, and who controls the information, resources and access you need to get the jities.
2. Milestones (by Day 45)
Write down when and you intend to instill some sort of operating discipline.
o Likely right after you’ve pivoted
3. Early Win Plans (by Day 60)
Write down when you intend to identify early wins so you and your team can deliver them by the end of your sixth month in role.
4. Team Roles (by Day 70)
Write down when you intend to do your first role sort, figuring out who’s in the right role and who’s in the wrong role.
o #1 regret of senior leaders is not moving fast enough on people.
5. Communication Steps
Write down your intended communication cadence: one-on-ones, update meetings, milestone tracking, large group communication.
6. N.B.
Write down anything else you’d like to discuss with us at this point as this is the last worksheet you’ll actually fill in. We’re going to walk you through the adjust worksheet so you’re ready if you need it, but not fill it in yet.
Follow Up Actions
Action 1: Mark tentative imperative workshop or other date to have imperative set (generally within first 30 days!)
Action 2: Mark tentative date to implement milestone management process (within first 45 days)
Action 3: Mark tentative date to launch early win efforts (within first 60 days)
Action 4: Mark tentative date to agree team role sort (within first 70 days in job)
Action 5: Mark other communication steps having to do with your amplifiers (people and media) and ongoing conversations. This requires great perseverance. You’re going to be bored of your own message before it has even registered with most others.
Additional Reading
- Read George’s New Leader’s Playbook Articles on Forbes.com. One particularly helpful article at this stage is What’s Right And Wrong About Ford CEO Jim Hackett’s New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan and also A 100-Day Action Plan for Starbucks’ New CEO Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants as well as Caryn Lerner’s first 100-days at Daffy’s.
- See the fifth through seventh chapters of The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan on the various components of your first 100-days.
Next Step Preview
In Step 7 you will plan to identify and manage changes along the way.