Every time I started a new managerial position in a company, whether in the same place or a new one, I felt anxious. What if I won’t fit in with the team? What if I won’t do well? What if I will get myself sucked into corporate politics and feuds? What if I’ll feel demotivated and distracted?

Surprisingly, there are very few books about career transition. The only one I could find at the time was a book called First 90 Days by Michael Watkins. It explains what to do during your first three months in a new position.

In this article, I want to share my advice on approaching a new job or position in the first three months.

After six years of work experience and switching jobs, I can see the steps a new manager needs to take when moving to a new position (whether at your current company or a new one).

1. Evaluate the performance of an organization,
2. Evaluate the performance of your assigned area of responsibility,
3. Align your expectations with management,
4. Understand your work scope,
5. Achieve quick wins.

In general, the first 30–45 days of work should be busy with one-on-one meetings with all possible future contractors. Meet with your managers, peers, team members, customers and partners.

Remember that during these meetings, you need to understand the performance of the company and your area of responsibility.

One-on-one meetings

Have as many one-on-one meetings as possible. At such meetings, people are more likely to share their concerns or experiences, and help you make an unbiased opinion.

Depending on your position, you’ll have to hold from 30 to a few hundred meetings.

What questions do you need to ask?

1. What do you think are the current challenges for our business and the company?
2. Why these particular challenges, and how did we get to this point?
3. What do you think are our growth areas?
4. How should we take advantage of these opportunities?
5. What would be the first thing you do if you were in my shoes?

The more conversations you have, the bigger picture you will see. But what parts do you need to make the image as detailed as possible?

What’s going on in the company

Initiatives. How does the process of supporting and implementing new strategic initiatives work? Does it need some extra support, or is the consent of the management sufficient? How is the budget protected?

State of the business. What are the key business metrics? What are the biggest challenges the company is currently facing? How can you help?

Budgeting. How does the budgeting process work? How do you secure funding for your projects?

Challenges. What are the main challenges in business and your area of responsibility? What problems need to be solved as soon as possible? Which of the issues can wait?

Product and project management. What is the IT structure of the company? How does production management work?

Other things: recruitment, legal department, security, operations, etc.

Your area of responsibility

Performance. If your current area of responsibility existed in the company before you took over, how did it perform? Were the goals ambitious, or was the company playing it safe? Were benchmarks used? What were the consequences in case the goals weren’t met?

Core contributing factors. If the performance was good, why? What was the most important factor? Was it strategy, team, culture, or clear development direction within the company?

If the performance was not satisfactory, what was the reason? Was it a technical problem, a lack of strategy or an incompetent team? Or maybe flaws in the management system were the reason for failure?

History of changes. What was going on before you took over the position? What efforts had been made for improvements? What methods worked and what didn’t work?

Current situation. Is there a strategic direction and vision? Does the team follow this direction? If not, why? Will the current strategy lead your team towards the goal?

Your team. Whose performance is great? Ask for the latest 360-degree feedback on each employee.

Work process. Is everything okay with your current processes? What needs to be changed ASAP?

Quick wins. What can be quickly changed? What issues are burning but are relatively easy to solve?

Sync with your manager

Have at least one weekly meeting with your manager to check on your progress and their expectations. Consult with them to see if you are moving in the right direction and ensure you are not missing anything.

Sync with your coworkers and key contractors

How well a manager builds effective relationships with partners is crucial to their success.

Create your tools for collecting feedback, exchanging opinions and suggestions. Assemble your Advisory Board, and include the people you need (but at most 10). From time to time, you can ask the experts and hear their opinions (but remember that it is up to you to decide).

Determine a direction for your future work

In about 3–4 weeks, you will clearly understand what is going on at your new place.

Start transforming this understanding into a strategy and vision, and try to draw a picture of the future you need to build.

• What are the fundamental problems that need to be solved?
• What exactly do we want to achieve?
• What is the competitive landscape? What is going on in the current market? How will it affect your business?
• What steps must we take to get from point A to point B?

Work out your tactics

1. If your career is in product, start product experiments as soon as possible in your new position. For a product manager, it is best not to spend too much time studying the theory.
2. What quick wins can you achieve in 3–4 months? Which ones are the most important?
3. What pressing problems need to be solved in the shortest time possible?
4. How to improve your team? Who needs to be hired? Who do you need to part with? Who needs help to grow and develop within the team?
5. What data do you need? The earlier you request the information, the faster you can make decisions.
6. How much money will you need in the first year?

Some additional advice

• Don’t be afraid to be disliked. Your job is not to be liked by every colleague.
• Find a mentor or a peer from another company so you can support each other and discuss your challenges and achievements.
• Try not to get too close to anyone at the start in the new place to avoid being manipulated by your own sense of obligation and guilt.