How To Ace Your First 100 Days

You have a small window of opportunity to make your mark in a new leadership position. Here’s how to have the best possible start.

- Helena Wasserman

The first 100 days in a top job have become an important milestone, with everyone from South Africa’s public protector to the new US president currently being scrutinised on their performance during this key period.

In fact, the milestone dates back to another US president. When Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in 1933, he faced the Great Depression, a banking catastrophe and a devastated economy. Within 100 days, he established key initiatives (including a famed jobs programme) that would reverse the ruin. Since then, the 100-day standard has become a key measure of success.

Here’s how to make your mark in the early days:

1. Learn names.

“Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language,” Dale Carnegie famously said. “Respect and acceptance stem from simple acts such as remembering a person’s name and using it whenever appropriate.” In fact, this should be part of your homework before you start a new job. Along with learning as much as you can about the company’s positioning (particularly its pricing and strategy, and what competitors are doing) before you join, compile a photo book with the names and profile pictures of the people you will work with.

2. Be clear on what you are supposed to achieve by confirming your goals with your new boss or the board. If the company is in crisis, you will be expected to move fast and take drastic action.

3. Don’t focus on firefighting.