Video: Step 1 Opportunity
To begin Step 1, please watch the video above.
When thinking of your strategy for success, your “plan,” it’s okay to admit that you probably don’t know enough to do a complete, final plan at this point. But you do know enough to do a preliminary, hypothetical plan that you can use to guide your learning. That’s what we’re after. Not the final plan you’re going to implement, but enough of a plan to put you on the front foot as you assimilate and continue to learn, starting now.
Instructional Guidelines
Utilize New Job Prep Worksheet #1 in your work packet.
By working through this topic, you will understand the job you’ve just accepted, its mission, fit and priorities, which is the critical context for everything else and your future actions to come. While filling out this worksheet, accept that you are dealing with limited information and don’t get hung up on that. This is about creating working hypotheses that you will test and evolve over time as you learn more.
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 #1 on the opportunity/context: Step1-Opportunity.ppt
1. What's the job?
Fill in the title and accountabilities – what they expect you to get done including objectives, goals and priorities.
2. Why did they choose you?
What made you stand out from the other candidates?
3. Why did you say yes?
What’s most exciting about this opportunity for you?
4. Why did you almost say "No"?
What risks did you see? What made you think twice?
o Look at business, organizational, role and personal risks.
5. What are the organization's objectives and strategies?
Fill in the objectives and goals for the overall organization and its strategies or priorities
6. How does your position impact the rest of the organization?
What inputs do you and your team need from others? What outputs do others need from you? What will they do with those outputs?
o Consider who reports to whom, and who controls the information, resources and access you need to get the job done.
o All work is process. Think suppliers – inputs – process – outputs – customers.
7. Which ACES choice category does the organization fall within?
Based on the organization’s context and culture, what is it’s ACES choice?
o Assimilate if low need to change and high openness to change
o Converge and Evolve slowly if low need and low openness
o Converge and Evolve fast if urgent need for change and high openness
o Shock if high urgent for change and low openness to change
Follow Up Action
This step is all about context.
Action 1: If you haven’t already, locate your job description and the organization chart.
Additional Reading
- Read George’s New Leader’s Playbook Articles on Forbes.com. One particularly helpful article at this stage is on Corporate Culture: The Only Sustainable Competitive Advantage.
- You may also find these articles helpful: How To Read Your New Boss Before Onboarding Into A New Role and Position Yourself For Success Heading Into A New Job.
- See first chapter of The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan on Position Yourself for Success.
Next Step Preview
In Step 2 you will identify most important stakeholders up, across, and down, as well as various other individuals with a stake in your success. They will be the target audience for your communication campaign.