Write the Best 30-60-90-Day Plan
1Know WHY You’re Writing This Plan
If
you don’t have a goal, it’s really hard to hit it, right? So what is your goal
with a 30-60-90-day plan?
Your
goal is not to simply show off everything you know. Your goal is to foster more effective communication with
this hiring manager about the job.
· You do want to show that you understand and have the ability to do this job. This is why
it’s so important to incorporate smart action steps and be as specific as you
can with the details. This plan is helping you sell yourself for the job by
showing them what you can do for them.
·
You want to take the risk factor out of hiring you. When you walk them
through your plan and your thoughts about how you will approach this job, they
can see what you will do. It makes them more comfortable and enthusiastic about
hiring you.
·
You want to make sure you and that hiring
manager are on the same page. I’ve seen
many a person start a job and realize they made a mistake in taking it. Going
over your plan with your future boss ensures that you and they agree on what
‘successful’ means for this role. This will be very important for performance reviews,
raises, promotions, and recommendations down the line.
Knowing
what you want to accomplish with your plan makes it
easier to write and more effective for you.
2Make Your Plan an Appropriate Length
I
often see bad plans that are way too short (an insult to the job) or too
long--10-page plan usually turns out to be more about you than about what you can do for the company.
An
effective plan should generally be about 1 page for each section:
the 30-day section, the 60-day section, and the 90-day section. (This can also
vary depending on the job and the job level.)
3Be Thoughtful About Your Timeline
All
jobs have things that must happen—tasks that must be completed, actions that
must be taken, etc. Tasks must be prioritized and goals must be set. This will
vary according to the particular job, but here is a general timeline to help
you organize your thoughts:
First 30 Days –
Typically, this is a time of learning your way
around. You may go through HR training.
You’re learning everyone’s names and roles. You learn how to navigate the
system. You master product knowledge. You meet vendors or customers.
Yes,
these are things that everyone must do—so why write them into a plan? Because
you are demonstrating emotional and tactical intelligence, and you are painting
a picture for them of what they can expect with you in that role. When you do
your research and include specifics, such as the name of the software they use
or their top customers, it has a powerful impact. You seem intensely interested
in the job—and therefore more attractive to that hiring manager.
Next 30 Days (the 60-day section) –
For many jobs, this is a
transition time. You may not be operating entirely on your own, but you are
stepping out. You’re taking on more responsibility. You’re getting deeper into
the details. You’re introducing yourself to a second-tier list of people.
You’re actively planning to ask for feedback.
The Last 30 Days (the 90-day section) –
This is where
you will especially show what you are bringing to this company: Are you tasked
with culture change? Are they relying on you to grow the company’s market share?
Do they need greater efficiency? What kinds of things will you implement to
accomplish these goals?
One
question I get from a lot of job seekers is: “How can I possibly create a
plan before I’ve talked to them about the job?” Well, that’s
kind of the point. This is a big effort that will make you stand out from the
competition. You have to research and talk to people to get accurate
information for your plan.
You
absolutely won’t have everything right. How could you? You haven’t worked for
this company before. As you have your discussion, you get feedback and
adjust.
-
If they say, “That’s not really where I want to go with this position,” you
have just found out something incredibly valuable. Where do they want to go?
How are you prepared to get them there?
-
If they say, “That looks great, but I need you at the 90-day mark at the end of
Month One,” then you can re-evaluate. Is that something you can do? Tell them
how. Does it make you think that this company will wreck your work/life balance
and you want no part of it? It’s good to know before you accept the offer.
Your
plan isn’t THE rulebook that should never be deviated from. It’s a working document that can be adjusted. It enhances
clear communication with the hiring manager.
4Be Mindful of the Details
·
What training program do they follow?
Incorporate the name of that.
·
Who would you be reporting to? Use that
person’s name.
·
What software program or system do they use?
Add that name in.
Details
like these strongly communicate that you are someone who will absolutely
take this job seriously and work hard to be successful.
How
do you find out things like this? You may be able to
find some with a Google search. Probably you’ll have to search through LinkedIn
or Facebook to see what others at that company have included in their
information. You may even be able to ask people in your network if they know or
if they can connect you to someone who knows.
5Look at Sample Plans and/or Get a Proven Template
The
more you know about 30-60-90-day plans,
the more comfortable and effective you’ll be writing one for yourself.
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