Why winging it doesn’t work
Did you hear the story of the leader who walked into a new job with no plan and absolutely nailed their goals, built brilliant relationships and just generally bossed it?
No, me neither!
Think back to when you started your last job... you wanted to make a good impression, you had people telling you what you needed to focus on, everyone wanted to meet with you to get their priorities on your agenda, you had to learn a new way of working, navigate new buildings, learn new jargon. Oh, and you also probably had a lot of people looking to you for answers to questions you knew nothing about.
Going with the flow is all well and good, but before you know it you've said yes to all sorts of things, stepped in one too many bear traps, and it feels like you will never be on top of the demands.
Sound familiar?
The truth is starting a new job can be exciting and overwhelming in equal measure. And the more senior you are, the more every move you make is in the spotlight.
The way you handle your first days and weeks in post will set the tone for the months and years ahead.
Get it wrong and it can be hard to recover.
Get it right and you will feel like Gareth Southgate on the eve of the Euros final.
That's why I am such a big fan of the 100 day plan. Taking the time before starting a new role to decide your strategy... working out your narrative, mapping out who you will need to build relationships with, determining what you need to ask and test along the way, considering what you want to have achieved by certain milestones, being clear on your boundaries.
I mean if a 100 day plan is good enough for the office of President of the USA...