Days 1-30 — Listen
- 1:1 with every direct report + key peers
- Read the last two quarters of team docs and postmortems
- Sit in on 3-5 team rituals without changing them
- Deliverable: a written "what I'm learning" note shared with the team
Days 31-60 — Diagnose
- Map the operating rhythm and identify what's working
- Assess each person against the ladder — capture strengths + growth
- Draft team goals for the next quarter (with the team, not for them)
- Deliverable: a team diagnostic shared with your manager
Days 61-90 — Act
- Ship one visible change to the operating rhythm
- Have a first career conversation with every direct report
- Set two team goals with clear owners
- Deliverable: a 90-day review with your manager on what changed
Common pitfalls
- — Reorganising in week two. You don't have the context yet.
- — Only meeting people in group settings. 1:1s in month one are non-negotiable.
- — Skipping the diagnostic write-up. Writing forces clarity you can't fake.