The First 100 Days

The senior executives I work with are under immediate pressure to deliver when appointed to a new role. Over the past 10 years, I've noticed honeymoon periods dramatically shorten, and new leaders, whatever the brief, can expect to be judged a success or failure by the time they reach their first 100 days.

Performance acceleration is a critical business demand in today's global economy. A few decades ago investors sought 10-year strategic plans, then five-year and subsequently three-year plans were in vogue. Since 2007, I have noticed the emergence of the 'Two-Year Plan' from forward-thinking CEOs and business leaders. Now, more than ever, the pressure is on to recover high return on investments, so companies and shareholders need their leaders to perform better and faster than ever before.

Over the next few weeks, our new Prime Minister, David Cameron, will find out how true this is. The country is watching to see what happens next following the most dramatic election in years. Cameron, now leader of the country's first coalition Government for 70 years, is under intense scrutiny, with many expecting concrete results during his crucial first days in office.

Ensuring this period goes well will be a major influence on his long-term success. If I was working with Cameron I'd strongly advise, as I do with all my clients, he writes a first 100 days plan identifying key issues and priorities he must tackle if he's to get off to a good start.

And it isn't just politicians who operate within an ever-shrinking time pressure context. Business leaders are expected to achieve measureable results within months of taking up a new appointment. Furthermore, the hiring manager, incumbent team and wider stakeholders will feel the strain too as they typically view a new leadership appointment with a mixture of both relief and apprehension.

Senior appointments are risky and the stakes are high. A significant change is necessary and people will look to the new leader for answers and a clear pathway forward.

The decisive factor for first 100 days' success is to set out the right strategic priorities and to stay focused on them. Sounds simple? Unfortunately this is easier said than done. In my experience, there are common challenges inherent in every transition, which can derail good intentions and get in the way of successfully achieving business objectives:

• time pressures and intense learning curve
• being overwhelmed with immediate 'fire-fighting' and task-driven priorities
• need to invest in building new networks and forge new stakeholder relationships
• dealing with legacy issues from the predecessor
• challenges on inheriting or building a team and having to make tough personnel decisions
• for external hires, a lack of experience of new company culture may lead to inadvertent gaffes and early political blunders – all of which can take time to recover
• getting the balance right between moving too fast and moving too slowly.

Having worked with many leaders during their first 100 days, I have developed a clear view on the five critical success factors they need to embrace.

1. Bring forward a clear vision
   

   Even if a vision has already been set by the predecessor, you should feel free to add, build, refresh or reinvent the vision. So, what is your vision? To put it another way, when you leave the role, what do you want people to say is your legacy? It's another way of starting with the end in mind – think about leaving the role, and what you want to have left behind.

2. Have no fear (and be confident)
   

   Everybody – regardless of seniority or experience – suffers a confidence loss in the first 100 days. This is perfectly normal. After all, you may never have done this role before, so of course confidence is an issue. Confidence is very important, because you need to be able to make good decisions and not panic during those often overwhelming first 100 days.

3. Exercise patience and resilience
   

   A leader in a new role is psyched up to perform and make changes as fast as possible given their new authority and mandate. Unfortunately, resistance to change appears to be the status quo of even the best organisations. So, be realistic that while you are in gung-ho mode, your team and those around you may be suffering change fatigue and may be both consciously and unconsciously resistant to your ideas. Accept that opposition to change is the more likely situation and devise strategies for overcoming these resistances.

4. Be a fast learner
   

   The industry, market and organisation will keep on moving and there is no pause while you get up to speed in your first 100 days. So you have to be committed and able to learn as fast as possible. This is why it is important you negotiate extra latitude and time from loved ones, so that during the first 100 days you are fully focused on narrowing knowledge gaps and learning the ropes as fast as possible.

5. Don't be afraid of your mistakes
   

   We all make mistakes. That is never going to change. So don't be afraid to make them. Mistakes are a rich source of learning and make up the sum of our total experience and wisdom. The important thing about mistakes is how you handle them. Very often they can be an opportunity to build a deeper relationship with someone we work with because those around you may be very forgiving of early mistakes. You have to move forward with courage and without perfect information so it is inevitable that mistakes will be made – so just accept it, and don't worry about it!