Alan’s corner: The first 100 days

New leaders use the first 100 days in office to listen to their teams, formulate an informed strategy, gain key stakeholder buy-in, and then roll out the strategy.

The fourth quarter of the year is when many organisations craft a new strategy and sometimes plan changes to the structure. It’s also a time when many new hires prepare to join a company with a vision, dreams and plans to change all before them. If you are one of those people, how do you make the right impact? And how quickly should you be seen to be making changes?

It was Franklin D Roosevelt’s presidency in 1933 that gave us the reference to the ‘first 100 days’. In his inaugural address, Roosevelt announced that he would move with unprecedented speed to address the problems facing the nation. They were difficult times that demanded urgent action.

Today, the first 100 days concept has been adapted for modern businesses. Because new leaders don’t always have the luxury of Roosevelt’s foresight to be able to plan before they even start, the first 100 days is often seen as a honeymoon period, used to get a good grip on priorities.

I believe it actually takes more than a year in reality. Every industry has its seasonal cycles and a new leader has to experience all of those in a year to really understand the business. But of course, you can’t wait a year to make an impact. It is typically expected that new leaders are seen to be making decisions and adding value after the first 100 days.

Don’t fall into the trap of making changes too quickly. Yet in the meantime, there are often urgent and obvious decisions to be taken early on. Now there’s a conundrum. So, if you land in a job either as a new hire or through promotion, here are some tips and watchouts for your first 100 days.

Leadership lessons for the first 100 days

01. Get to know your own team and your boss. Work out who is who. Organisation charts are a starting point, but they don’t always reflect the real authority and decision-making lines. Be impartial as you listen to stories and views. If you go along with a convincing person too early, you may have to change your mind later.

02. Learn the product range and what makes the company unique in its competitive space. Which are the best sellers, worst sellers, the big margin and the tight margin products? In studying the numbers, get a handle on trends. Which are the ones in growth and which are in decline? How much newness is there or is there an over-reliance on an ageing portfolio?

03. Who are your best customers? How do they place orders? Do you have access to customer feedback? To what extent has digitisation been embraced?

04. Understand production and the supply chain. Where are the bottlenecks? How much change has there been since the pandemic and recent big increases in sea-going container transport?

05. Get a feel for the rhythm of the business and the corporate culture that sets the way things get done. Is the business customer-focused? Do colleagues show each other sufficient respect? Do individuals take personal ownership of their actions? Does it move at pace?

06. Take time to assess the big picture. What’s going on in the wider marketplace that will present opportunities and threats to your business? Who are your main competitors and what are they doing that will impact on your business?

07. Even if you are not directly involved in the commercial side of the business, take time to understand customers, products and supply chain. After all, that’s what will occupy much of the conversation in the boardroom.

08. For all of the above, what are the main risks to the business and your function in particular?

Then…

09. Identify and make some quick-win decisions. Rather than waiting till day 101, are there some opportunities for you to make an impact with some ‘wins’ that show that you mean action? Try to find wins across your stakeholder mix. Bear in mind that various people are watching you. You can’t please them all. My advice is to fi nd quick wins across all key pillars of the business mix, i.e. product, people, place and internal controls.

The last word

As crazy as this sounds, plan your legacy already. In other words, what do you want people to say about you in the future when you eventually leave your new employer?

Be the leader you aspire to be and work towards that legacy now. While I know it’s a cliché, remember you have two ears and one mouth, so try to use them in that proportion.

Here is an easy tool to help you in your quest for building a picture. Remember Rudyard Kipling’s rhyme: “I keep six honest serving men. They taught me all I knew. Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who”. Use these ‘Ws’ to ask the right questions, and don’t make judgments too soon.

Alan O’Neill is the managing director of Kara, change consultant and speaker.

Also read: Alan’s corner: Imitation versus innovation