Use your earliest days to begin building the foundation for a strong, high-performing team. This includes evaluating the strength of individual members and the dynamics among team members, and understanding any skill gaps and potential process and structural needs.
What Experienced CEOs Have Learned
Evaluating and preparing my team: Checklist
Before You Start
- Review a complete set of individual performance reviews, executive coach assessments, etc., for direct reports and reviews that speak to top team effectiveness.
- Create an agenda for active listening with direct reports and others. Ask a lot of questions.
- Review the most-recent HR plan including succession planning and overall organization plan.
First 100 Days
- Use early management team meetings to validate performance assumptions and build relationships. Set the tone for the weeks that follow by communicating your management philosophy, background, operating principles and expectations.
- Invest time determining the “jobs to be done” based on the business imperatives, including how those priorities should shape the responsibilities and priorities of the individual leadership roles.
- Meet with direct reports and broader leadership team. Ask a lot of questions.
- Conduct a formal new leader assimilation session.
- Synthesize learning and provide feedback to the board and team.
Day 101 and Beyond
- Refine individual goals and development plans.
- Define the operating mechanism/process — the meetings, documents and report formats to conduct the day-to-day business.
- Consider top leadership session to share vision, strategy, etc.
Additional Resources
Spencer Stuart Insights
