If You Want To Be Seen as Successful in Your New Role, Here Are 3 Things You Absolutely Need To Do

We’ve all been there. After all of the effort we put into the job search process, we receive the long-awaited email or phone call that we’ve landed the job we’ve been waiting so long for. Then, a few moments after receiving that wonderful news, we realize that we don’t quite have the clarity we need about how to be successful in our new role.

No matter what level of detail you’ve been given about how to approach your new role, the strategies below can help increase your chances of growing your influence and impact — all while getting clear on what success looks like within the first 30 days of your role. 

1. Have a conversation with key stakeholders about their expectations for your role.

You’ll most likely have at least one supervisor and will possibly have other individuals who might provide some level of additional supervision for your role. In some roles, other key stakeholders might include direct reports, funders and more. 

Schedule time to chat with key stakeholders to who you would be accountable within your role. Learn about what their expectations are for work culture, priorities, milestones, meetings and deadlines. 

If you are taking over a position that has been filled before you, learn about the key resources and key people you need to be successful. Also, find out the status of projects that were in process before you started your role that you are now responsible for. Learn about best practices that your supervisor(s) might recommend along with what challenges to avoid. 

These conversations will be key for you to understand what success looks like in your role and will also help you avoid the pitfalls of those who may have come before you. We all know that when we have support, we thrive at work. 

If you’re clear on what you need from your supervisor(s) to be successful in your role, this can be a time to share some initial thoughts about this as well. 

2. Create and share your 30-60-90 day plan prior to starting your role or by your second week of work.

Some hiring managers might invite candidates to complete a prospective 30-60-90 day plan for a prospective role during the hiring process. For other employers, it would be best for you to create a 30-60-90 day plan after gaining more context about your new role. Based on your knowledge of what is expected of you in your new role, define in a document what priorities you would like to accomplish by your first 30 days of work, by your first 60 days of work and by your first 90 days of work. 

Allow your supervisor(s) to provide you with feedback on how realistic your goals are. Allow them to share their thoughts on if you should restructure your priorities for each 30-60-90 day time frame. Feel free to reiterate to your supervisors what support or resources you might need to bring your 30-60-90 day plan to fruition successfully. 

This plan can serve as your roadmap for what you’re striving to accomplish to increase your impact, increase your influence and ensure your success — and the success of your company within your first 90 days. 

3. Find a mentor at work.

Have you ever had someone at work who knew everything about who was who, how to do things most effectively and efficiently, where everything was and what was coming down the pike? If you have had a positive rapport with a person like that at work, it may have made your work much easier. 

Take the time to learn about who at work might be a key resource for you to be able to succeed within your role. There might be a number of individuals who you realize are key to your success. Maybe one coworker is often available to lend a helping hand or maybe you find another coworker is a master problem-solver. Within your first 90 days, if you can identify who might serve as a mentor and guide for you, it can have a ripple effect of future wins in your new role — as you have someone there to help you navigate through opportunities and challenges.

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Daphne Valcin is a certified coach, speaker, and trainer focusing on career advancement and business growth, featured in Forbes.com and Voyage Magazine. She has coached over 400 clients across 20 states and 4 countries. Her clients have enhanced relationships, increased productivity, and had salary increases as high as 105%. Daphne’s clients include clients representing Fortune 50 and Fortune 500 companies including UnitedHealthcare, Lockheed Martin, and JPMorgan Chase. Learn more about her work at https://www.daphnevalcin.com. 

What’s your no. 1 piece of advice for starting a new job? Share your answer in the comments to help other Fairygodboss members!