Before joining my new company, I made it a priority to approach my onboarding with professionalism and careful planning beforehand. Having absorbed valuable insights from various articles and books (left them at the end), I’m sharing them all in this post, along with my own practical experiences from the first 90 days.
There are five parts I used:
a) 0–30 days: Understanding Your Role and Establishing Connections with your Manager
b) 30–90 days: Progress Review and Leveraging Opportunities
c) SWOT analysis. Reflect on your past!
d) Conclusion
e) Books and materials
- Clarify Your Role and Responsibilities: During the initial days, take the time to thoroughly understand your assigned role and responsibilities. Seek clarity from your manager to ensure you have a clear understanding of your tasks and objectives.
- Address Manager Expectations: Additionally, check with your manager for any specific areas they would like you to focus on or any improvements they expect from your role. This alignment will set the stage for a fruitful working relationship.
- Prioritize Tasks: To manage your time effectively, organize the tasks you’ve been assigned based on their priority. This will allow you to concentrate on the most critical aspects of your role from the outset.
- Identify Key Stakeholders: Understanding the key stakeholders you’ll be working with, such as the tech lead, product team, and colleagues, is crucial for effective collaboration. Engaging with them early on will foster a positive work environment.
- Seek Insights from Your Manager: Engage in open conversations with your manager to gather insights on the people you need to connect with and relevant topics that may impact your role.
- Familiarize Yourself with the Company’s Technology Strategy: To make informed decisions, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the company’s technology strategy. I personally maintained a separate confluence page and linked it to my annual objectives, which significantly helped me navigate challenging decisions.
- Broaden Your Vision through Conversations: Schedule “coffee chat” sessions with colleagues to get to know them better and understand the challenges they face. These conversations will provide valuable insights and opportunities for improvement.
For example, I was able to identify opportunities to improve in my program work with vendor from a Director of Engineering, and a few more from another TPM + also insights from my Product Manager.
So, your action is — set up 20 min ‘coffee chat’ and chat about things. Remember, you have a superpower cause you’re a newcomer, so most likely people would love to help you and get to know you!
- Productive Meetings with Your Manager: In your 1–1, provide an overview of your progress based on established priorities and how it aligns with your annual objectives. Take this opportunity to discuss additional tasks, improvements, and innovative ideas you’d like to contribute.
- Address Issues and Risks: Being proactive in identifying and addressing issues or risks in your projects is vital. Present clear facts and numbers to support your concerns and offer potential solutions.
- Focus on Quick Wins (first time): To build trust and credits, strive to achieve a few quick wins early on. Regularly communicate your progress to your team, showcasing your ability to deliver results. Also to build a trust — connect with ‘Why’ your manager (e.g. values, priorities). It’s a broad topic and I wrote some part of that here.
Conduct a SWOT Analysis: Before embarking on your new journey, conduct a SWOT analysis of yourself and your experiences. This self-assessment will help you identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Utilize these insights to grow and avoid repeating past mistakes.
My Personal SWOT Analysis (it’s only 20% that I had as I want to give you an idea about the structure + a few examples) and '->' as an action item:
Strengths:
- Ability to drive initiatives and deliver results efficiently.
- Direct and concise communication, taking the shortest route to achieve goals.
- Identify questions, trade-offs, and bottlenecks to enhance understanding.
Weaknesses:
- Really Master technical documentation (C-4 model, connection to business goals) -> 1) find a project to work on Architecture 2) find a tech mentor to check your work 3) read books:
https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/software-systems-architecture/9780132906135/
Opportunities:
- Embrace the opportunity to learn about various topics, such as economy, international relations, and politics, thoughtfully and in-depth. -> Proactively attend at Events
- Learn from others by actively listening and asking thoughtful questions while showcasing your knowledge and willingness to help. -> seek for opportunities to offer help and ask for a help
- Build a strong professional network through short “get to know you” meetings and involve them in relevant activities. -> set up 'coffee chats' not only within first 90 days, offer help to others
Threats
- Read between lines to focus on important things -> take a few courses:Leveraging Different Perspectives by Stanford
The first 90 days in a new company are a crucial period for establishing a strong foundation. By clarifying your role, understanding your manager’s expectations, and building meaningful connections, you set yourself up for a successful journey. Engaging in self-assessment through a SWOT analysis allows you to leverage your strengths, address weaknesses, seize opportunities, and navigate potential threats confidently.
Remember, this period is your superpower as a newcomer, as people are often eager to help and get to know you. Embrace this opportunity, and you’ll pave the way for a promising and rewarding career with your new company.
Book:
“The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter” by Michael D. Watkins — This book offers a comprehensive guide on how to navigate your transition into a new role and company effectively.
Articles:
Harvard Business Review — “How to Succeed in Your New Job” by Michael D. Watkins — This article complements Watkins’ book and provides actionable tips for the initial stages of a new role.
Forbes — “The First 90 Days: Your Road Map for Success at a New Job” by Amy Morin — A practical guide with tips on how to make a positive impact in your new position.
#projectmanagement #tpm #technicalprogrammanager #leadership