Feb. 23, 2026
Want to Lead Well in Your First 90 Days? Own Your Vision
New manager leadership skills are put to the test in months 2-3 of your role. In this final episode of the First 90 Days series, I guide women in leadership and all new leaders through the critical transition from observation to ownership. You're 60 days into your new leadership role—and the dysfunction you noticed isn't going away. In this final episode of the First 90 Days series, I reveal how to transition from observation to ownership in months 2-3.
As you approach the three-month mark, it's time to move from watching and documenting to shaping what comes next. We'll tackle the practical realities of leadership for managers: building credibility through early wins, discerning which relationships to invest in deeply, and making tough calls about whether your team has the right people in the right seats.
Perfect for: New managers, directors, and executives in their first 90 days; women in leadership navigating organizational challenges; leaders stepping into roles where they need to establish credibility and drive change quickly.
Want to talk through your new role? Schedule a call. Access my calendar here.
Complete the series: Catch Part 1 and Part 2 for the full first 90 days roadmap.
Enjoying what you're hearing? Buy Me A Coffee
WEBVTT
00:00.807 --> 00:03.651
[SPEAKER_00]: By now, you've probably realized something unsettling.
00:04.251 --> 00:08.957
[SPEAKER_00]: The dysfunction that you notice in this new role in weeks one and two, it wasn't a fluke.
00:09.538 --> 00:10.219
[SPEAKER_00]: It's the culture.
00:10.739 --> 00:13.082
[SPEAKER_00]: And the complacency, it's not temporary.
00:13.543 --> 00:14.103
[SPEAKER_00]: It's embedded.
00:14.704 --> 00:16.847
[SPEAKER_00]: And let's not forget about the poor communication.
00:17.608 --> 00:18.549
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not accidental.
00:19.130 --> 00:19.770
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a habit.
00:20.231 --> 00:22.013
[SPEAKER_00]: And now you're standing at a crossroads.
00:22.594 --> 00:24.937
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you adapt to it or do you lead through it?
00:25.618 --> 00:29.903
[SPEAKER_00]: This is where observation ends and ownership begins.
00:33.764 --> 00:37.512
[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to Crossroads in Catalyst, the podcast which should need to be I am your host.
00:37.773 --> 00:45.089
[SPEAKER_00]: This is where we discuss how a thoughtful, wise and strategic perspective at a crossroads can be the catalyst for change in your leadership and career.
00:46.112 --> 00:51.604
[SPEAKER_00]: So this is the final episode of our three part mini series on your first 90 days as a new leader.
00:51.584 --> 00:59.774
[SPEAKER_00]: and if you're just now joining in, it will be helpful for you to go back and listen to those first two because I think that you will find them very valuable.
01:00.215 --> 01:10.568
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you have a colleague, be sure and share it because what I'm finding is there are a lot of new leaders who just do not have the support to assist them in their new role.
01:10.788 --> 01:14.773
[SPEAKER_00]: And that is what I'm here to do is to serve you in that way.
01:14.753 --> 01:28.189
[SPEAKER_00]: Also, I don't want you to forget to make sure to hit the follow button in Apple or Spotify so that you don't miss an episode and you also have the option to go directly to my website Crossroads and Catalyst.com
01:29.198 --> 01:41.279
[SPEAKER_00]: So at this point, you're starting the three-month stretch and you've probably seen some really bad habits, either on your team, in your boss, or maybe at the entire organization level itself.
01:41.880 --> 01:48.912
[SPEAKER_00]: Or worse, it could just be all of the above and we typically don't want to see the all of the above option in a situation like this.
01:48.892 --> 01:54.421
[SPEAKER_00]: And okay, on the flip side, maybe everything is going great for you and you can't wait to show up every day.
01:55.243 --> 01:59.310
[SPEAKER_00]: But more than likely, what it is, is just somewhere in between.
01:59.330 --> 02:03.256
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, you might not even be sure what to think at this point.
02:03.717 --> 02:13.313
[SPEAKER_00]: The environment is not quite toxic enough to just walk away, but it's just dysfunctional enough to make you question how long you can tolerate it.
02:13.293 --> 02:17.097
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you adapt to the dysfunction or become part of the problem?
02:17.217 --> 02:21.902
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, it's easy to do to do that, right?
02:22.502 --> 02:27.767
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you quietly start polishing your resume or do you take full ownership?
02:28.128 --> 02:36.736
[SPEAKER_00]: And by that, I don't necessarily mean that you take ownership of the mess that you've inherited, even though really it's kind of part of the territory at some point.
02:37.677 --> 02:42.422
[SPEAKER_00]: But really you're taking ownership of the change that you're about to lead and are you ready for that?
02:42.402 --> 02:47.751
[SPEAKER_00]: And I can share with you that one of my bosses told me about this story years ago.
02:48.632 --> 02:52.399
[SPEAKER_00]: And it was about a soon to be former leader.
02:52.619 --> 02:55.965
[SPEAKER_00]: And what he did is he wrote two letters for his successor.
02:56.726 --> 03:00.572
[SPEAKER_00]: One was labeled emergency and the other one was extreme emergency.
03:01.153 --> 03:08.325
[SPEAKER_00]: And he told him, okay, well, when you're not sure what to do and you're feeling overwhelmed when things go awry
03:08.305 --> 03:09.646
[SPEAKER_00]: open the letters.
03:10.447 --> 03:18.815
[SPEAKER_00]: So things got out of hand at some point down the road and he opened the first letter and it says, blame everything on me.
03:18.855 --> 03:22.399
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, so he's he's a little more calm.
03:23.099 --> 03:29.325
[SPEAKER_00]: He moves forward and things seem to be okay, but then he encounters another emergency and he remembers the second letter.
03:30.346 --> 03:37.333
[SPEAKER_00]: So when he sits to open the second letter, he reads it and it says, prepare to write your two letters.
03:37.313 --> 03:43.239
[SPEAKER_00]: So my point with this story is you're not there to blame someone else.
03:44.080 --> 03:48.564
[SPEAKER_00]: The point is that the moment of uncertainty, it's universal for all of us.
03:49.866 --> 03:53.709
[SPEAKER_00]: Every one of us has to choose how we're going to respond in the midst of it.
03:54.750 --> 04:03.439
[SPEAKER_00]: And I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge, okay, you might be in an awesome
04:04.769 --> 04:05.631
[SPEAKER_00]: You're supported.
04:05.651 --> 04:08.178
[SPEAKER_00]: You have the resources that you need to be successful.
04:08.740 --> 04:09.422
[SPEAKER_00]: That's wonderful.
04:09.803 --> 04:12.029
[SPEAKER_00]: And if that's the case, consider yourself blessed.
04:12.490 --> 04:21.073
[SPEAKER_00]: But for a lot of you, I recognize that you're in a scenario where things may not necessarily be the way that you imagined.
04:21.053 --> 04:40.277
[SPEAKER_00]: or the way that they were described, and so now you're here, you're in these first couple of months of your job, and you're just trying to make sure that you gather everything together, that you organize it, put some type of structure to it, and that you look as if you're competent all at the same time.
04:40.257 --> 04:48.586
[SPEAKER_00]: And a reminder, you are competent, but sometimes circumstances make us forget who we are and what we're capable of doing.
04:49.647 --> 04:55.374
[SPEAKER_00]: So whether you're navigating dysfunction or building on a solid foundation, the work ahead is still the same.
04:56.094 --> 04:58.377
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to own your vision for what comes next.
04:58.938 --> 05:03.042
[SPEAKER_00]: And what exactly does that mean to own your vision?
05:03.022 --> 05:05.628
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, here's what it looks like in practice.
05:05.649 --> 05:13.187
[SPEAKER_00]: It is recognizing how you want the future state of your team, your department, your organization to look versus the current state.
05:13.869 --> 05:19.984
[SPEAKER_00]: You've spent a considerable time over the last couple of months observing and evaluating.
05:19.964 --> 05:26.975
[SPEAKER_00]: And you should already have an idea as to what changes need to be implemented and the stakeholders who should be involved.
05:27.716 --> 05:33.044
[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to use your documentation to coalesce a plan by the end of the 90 days.
05:33.645 --> 05:37.751
[SPEAKER_00]: And this is what you will use to present, refine, and execute.
05:38.913 --> 05:40.475
[SPEAKER_00]: Believe me, it's not going to be perfect.
05:40.996 --> 05:43.600
[SPEAKER_00]: And it doesn't have to be perfect.
05:43.620 --> 05:46.444
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I don't want you to walk into a thinking
05:46.424 --> 05:57.543
[SPEAKER_00]: that it has to be this exact way, but what it's going to do is it's going to help to guide your decision making as you continue on in this process.
05:58.645 --> 06:03.454
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I have a few recommendations that I think that you should consider as you go through this next phase.
06:04.235 --> 06:08.162
[SPEAKER_00]: So first, as you begin to reorganize your notes,
06:08.142 --> 06:11.786
[SPEAKER_00]: You want them to tell a story of what needs to be accomplished.
06:11.806 --> 06:15.911
[SPEAKER_00]: So think about the priorities that your boss or even the organization is seeking.
06:16.251 --> 06:24.320
[SPEAKER_00]: And then compare your notes to what you've seen and heard from your boss and from the organization as a whole.
06:24.781 --> 06:28.184
[SPEAKER_00]: This is actually going to help you to see the order of importance, right?
06:28.665 --> 06:34.892
[SPEAKER_00]: And understanding the overall strategy and goals will be pivotal.
06:34.872 --> 06:37.497
[SPEAKER_00]: that this might not be a straightforward as you would like it to be.
06:37.538 --> 06:42.147
[SPEAKER_00]: And what you think is a priority, it might not take precedence at all.
06:42.628 --> 06:50.805
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's really a whole other topic of discussion because I have whole stories that I can tell you about some of my experiences.
06:51.595 --> 06:59.030
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'll just share one because I've worked at several companies that could not directly speak to the strategies and the goals of the organization.
06:59.471 --> 07:08.288
[SPEAKER_00]: And in one particular instance, I inquired numerous times and over as many months, believe me, it was very frustrating.
07:08.268 --> 07:14.443
[SPEAKER_00]: When I finally got my hands on it, yeah, it was more of an impact statement rather than a strategy.
07:14.824 --> 07:23.425
[SPEAKER_00]: And so it didn't even deliver what I was hoping to receive, which was something tangible to help me to map out.
07:23.405 --> 07:25.327
[SPEAKER_00]: what I thought that the organization needed.
07:25.848 --> 07:32.136
[SPEAKER_00]: And so my point is that you'll have to learn to do more with less because sometimes that's just how it is.
07:32.456 --> 07:37.343
[SPEAKER_00]: And so you'll have to be ready to prioritize based on what you know rather than what you don't know.
07:38.124 --> 07:47.075
[SPEAKER_00]: So moving on, now that you have a little bit of a foundation forming, you want to go and do some quick wins.
07:47.636 --> 07:51.100
[SPEAKER_00]: You want to go after those things that are the low hanging fruit.
07:51.080 --> 07:55.864
[SPEAKER_00]: And this is even better if it's done with and or for your team.
07:56.385 --> 08:02.290
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, because the earlier you can show them that you support them, the stronger they will be long-term.
08:02.811 --> 08:06.314
[SPEAKER_00]: And it will not hurt that they will be more inclined to help you.
08:06.834 --> 08:11.859
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's really what's going to be something that is a great win.
08:11.919 --> 08:14.982
[SPEAKER_00]: If you can show your team that you are there to help them.
08:15.382 --> 08:21.087
[SPEAKER_00]: And this could be something as simple as re-aligning some duties
08:21.067 --> 08:25.514
[SPEAKER_00]: While that might sound insignificant, believe me, this is a real thing.
08:25.874 --> 08:35.448
[SPEAKER_00]: I once had a team member who for almost a year asked an executive to transfer an employee for HR tracking purposes, and they were unsuccessful.
08:35.949 --> 08:39.194
[SPEAKER_00]: Something that would only take this person five minutes to do.
08:39.575 --> 08:40.836
[SPEAKER_00]: He could not get them to do it.
08:41.277 --> 08:47.226
[SPEAKER_00]: I got it done in 30 days, okay, and he was impressed, and he was satisfied.
08:48.286 --> 08:56.740
[SPEAKER_00]: And so what I want to remind you of is you want to build the relationship capital, which is the perfect segue to my next point.
08:57.822 --> 09:06.396
[SPEAKER_00]: Think about those who should be in your inner circle versus those who you'll keep at arms link because everybody is not meant to be in your inner circle.
09:06.376 --> 09:11.141
[SPEAKER_00]: It does not take long for people to reveal who they are and how they move, okay?
09:11.681 --> 09:19.469
[SPEAKER_00]: I caution you to avoid reading into behaviors and statements, but at the same time, I don't want you to dismiss what you see in here.
09:20.170 --> 09:23.574
[SPEAKER_00]: And this is one of the reasons why it's so important to have emotional intelligence.
09:24.415 --> 09:30.181
[SPEAKER_00]: It is a must-have skill because you have to learn how to strike a balance between the two.
09:30.821 --> 09:32.603
[SPEAKER_00]: It is so easy.
09:32.583 --> 09:40.353
[SPEAKER_00]: to take things personally and to be self-conscious when you're in your early days of a new position.
09:41.455 --> 09:48.724
[SPEAKER_00]: Because you're really not sure about people's mannerisms, but this is why I don't want you to jump to conclusions, okay?
09:49.325 --> 09:54.772
[SPEAKER_00]: And then the last one that I'll leave you with is this, assess your team's talent, honestly, and early.
09:55.213 --> 09:55.553
[SPEAKER_00]: All right?
09:56.274 --> 10:01.982
[SPEAKER_00]: Whose expertise will you need to get particular tasks completed so that you can achieve the goals?
10:01.962 --> 10:06.467
[SPEAKER_00]: And part of this is going to require that you assess whether or not to make personnel changes.
10:07.728 --> 10:10.431
[SPEAKER_00]: And this is the uncomfortable part because it's not easy.
10:11.232 --> 10:16.057
[SPEAKER_00]: And really, the answer is not necessarily that someone has to be fired.
10:16.918 --> 10:22.664
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe they're in a position where it's really not a good fit for them.
10:23.005 --> 10:26.489
[SPEAKER_00]: And so they need to be put in a position that more closely aligns with their skillset.
10:27.189 --> 10:30.653
[SPEAKER_00]: Or maybe they just need to be in a different department.
10:31.308 --> 10:41.259
[SPEAKER_00]: And consider this, maybe they just need some professional development and they never had the right type of training in the first place to really get them started in the right direction.
10:41.699 --> 10:54.733
[SPEAKER_00]: So you have some options and if that works fantastic, but you will want to make sure that you have a solid understanding of what you need versus what they can provide.
10:54.713 --> 10:56.636
[SPEAKER_00]: and that will help you to make your decision.
10:57.277 --> 11:04.428
[SPEAKER_00]: And another thing that you'll want to consider is tapping into your colleagues or other departments expertise that was underutilized.
11:04.969 --> 11:10.798
[SPEAKER_00]: And this could be something as simple as making a request for reports.
11:11.234 --> 11:26.155
[SPEAKER_00]: you just don't even know how many times over the years that people have been pleasantly surprised when I delivered something just simply because I asked for the report or whatever it was that I needed from the right people.
11:26.928 --> 11:52.851
[SPEAKER_00]: because people what happens is they run into these roadblocks and they get so used to running into the roadblock that they can't see, hey, that there's a different path to potentially getting the information that I need or people are so bogged down with the chaos and busyness of their schedules that because they didn't get a response or they didn't get a response after the first couple of times of trying to get something.
11:52.831 --> 11:53.992
[SPEAKER_00]: They just forget it.
11:54.072 --> 11:54.753
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not doing it.
11:55.253 --> 12:01.580
[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's how it ends up that they can go maybe years without getting some of the information that they needed.
12:02.200 --> 12:07.445
[SPEAKER_00]: Because it's just been difficult for them and they just haven't made the time to pursue it any further.
12:08.186 --> 12:20.138
[SPEAKER_00]: Part of the reason why you're there is to help bring it all together and deliver on what people need so that you can change the course of the department, the team, the organization even.
12:21.248 --> 12:28.260
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I've giving you some sound insight so that you can establish how things are gonna be done in your corner of the kingdom.
12:28.740 --> 12:29.101
[SPEAKER_00]: All right?
12:29.382 --> 12:31.986
[SPEAKER_00]: And you've heard me say many times that leadership is hard work.
12:32.527 --> 12:45.248
[SPEAKER_00]: And the fact that you're listening, it shows that you are committed to leading well, which is really what we want, we need good leaders, and we need good leaders in all aspects of industry.
12:45.228 --> 12:45.748
[SPEAKER_00]: all right.
12:45.768 --> 12:54.636
[SPEAKER_00]: So over the next several weeks, I want you to continue to refine your plan and consider the conversations that you'll need to have and the recommendations that you'll make.
12:55.077 --> 12:58.260
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'll give you an example even of what that could look like.
12:58.280 --> 13:04.906
[SPEAKER_00]: You could have one on one with your boss and you share some of your ideas on a restructured workflow.
13:05.987 --> 13:15.235
[SPEAKER_00]: Or how about this, you meet with one of your direct reports and you discuss what the performance standards are and the goals that you have
13:15.215 --> 13:29.314
[SPEAKER_00]: It could be something as small or relatively unimpactful, what you might think is unimpactful, but it could be significant for someone else.
13:29.854 --> 13:32.017
[SPEAKER_00]: These are just a few ideas, right?
13:32.318 --> 13:37.284
[SPEAKER_00]: You will have to determine what is best and when in your specific context.
13:38.165 --> 13:43.973
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you want to talk through what's going on in your particular context,
13:43.953 --> 13:47.979
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, then reserve a spot on my calendar so that we can meet and discuss it.
13:49.221 --> 13:54.589
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes it's just good to have a sounding board so that you can have someone to bounce some ideas off of.
13:55.170 --> 13:57.473
[SPEAKER_00]: So the link for that is in the show notes, right?
13:58.615 --> 14:00.858
[SPEAKER_00]: I just want to say that I appreciate that you're listening.
14:01.740 --> 14:05.205
[SPEAKER_00]: I want you to take what I when I provide to you and apply it.
14:05.806 --> 14:09.391
[SPEAKER_00]: It's only going to be helpful if you apply it, okay?
14:09.972 --> 14:12.576
[SPEAKER_00]: And
14:13.838 --> 14:15.180
[SPEAKER_00]: Then sign up for my newsletter.
14:15.581 --> 14:16.302
[SPEAKER_00]: It's the catalyst.
14:16.882 --> 14:26.256
[SPEAKER_00]: You can do so at crossroads in catalyst.com so that slash newsletter or you can click the link in the show notes and that'll get you signed up.
14:27.097 --> 14:34.488
[SPEAKER_00]: So until next time, be thoughtful, be wise, be strategic, and remember crossroads reveal who you are.
14:35.049 --> 14:38.334
[SPEAKER_00]: Catalyshape who you become, every decision matters.
14:38.795 --> 14:39.536
[SPEAKER_00]: So make it count.
14:40.036 --> 14:41.078
[SPEAKER_00]: I'll talk to you next week.
00:00.807 --> 00:03.651
[SPEAKER_00]: By now, you've probably realized something unsettling.
00:04.251 --> 00:08.957
[SPEAKER_00]: The dysfunction that you notice in this new role in weeks one and two, it wasn't a fluke.
00:09.538 --> 00:10.219
[SPEAKER_00]: It's the culture.
00:10.739 --> 00:13.082
[SPEAKER_00]: And the complacency, it's not temporary.
00:13.543 --> 00:14.103
[SPEAKER_00]: It's embedded.
00:14.704 --> 00:16.847
[SPEAKER_00]: And let's not forget about the poor communication.
00:17.608 --> 00:18.549
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not accidental.
00:19.130 --> 00:19.770
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a habit.
00:20.231 --> 00:22.013
[SPEAKER_00]: And now you're standing at a crossroads.
00:22.594 --> 00:24.937
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you adapt to it or do you lead through it?
00:25.618 --> 00:29.903
[SPEAKER_00]: This is where observation ends and ownership begins.
00:33.764 --> 00:37.512
[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to Crossroads in Catalyst, the podcast which should need to be I am your host.
00:37.773 --> 00:45.089
[SPEAKER_00]: This is where we discuss how a thoughtful, wise and strategic perspective at a crossroads can be the catalyst for change in your leadership and career.
00:46.112 --> 00:51.604
[SPEAKER_00]: So this is the final episode of our three part mini series on your first 90 days as a new leader.
00:51.584 --> 00:59.774
[SPEAKER_00]: and if you're just now joining in, it will be helpful for you to go back and listen to those first two because I think that you will find them very valuable.
01:00.215 --> 01:10.568
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you have a colleague, be sure and share it because what I'm finding is there are a lot of new leaders who just do not have the support to assist them in their new role.
01:10.788 --> 01:14.773
[SPEAKER_00]: And that is what I'm here to do is to serve you in that way.
01:14.753 --> 01:28.189
[SPEAKER_00]: Also, I don't want you to forget to make sure to hit the follow button in Apple or Spotify so that you don't miss an episode and you also have the option to go directly to my website Crossroads and Catalyst.com
01:29.198 --> 01:41.279
[SPEAKER_00]: So at this point, you're starting the three-month stretch and you've probably seen some really bad habits, either on your team, in your boss, or maybe at the entire organization level itself.
01:41.880 --> 01:48.912
[SPEAKER_00]: Or worse, it could just be all of the above and we typically don't want to see the all of the above option in a situation like this.
01:48.892 --> 01:54.421
[SPEAKER_00]: And okay, on the flip side, maybe everything is going great for you and you can't wait to show up every day.
01:55.243 --> 01:59.310
[SPEAKER_00]: But more than likely, what it is, is just somewhere in between.
01:59.330 --> 02:03.256
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, you might not even be sure what to think at this point.
02:03.717 --> 02:13.313
[SPEAKER_00]: The environment is not quite toxic enough to just walk away, but it's just dysfunctional enough to make you question how long you can tolerate it.
02:13.293 --> 02:17.097
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you adapt to the dysfunction or become part of the problem?
02:17.217 --> 02:21.902
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, it's easy to do to do that, right?
02:22.502 --> 02:27.767
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you quietly start polishing your resume or do you take full ownership?
02:28.128 --> 02:36.736
[SPEAKER_00]: And by that, I don't necessarily mean that you take ownership of the mess that you've inherited, even though really it's kind of part of the territory at some point.
02:37.677 --> 02:42.422
[SPEAKER_00]: But really you're taking ownership of the change that you're about to lead and are you ready for that?
02:42.402 --> 02:47.751
[SPEAKER_00]: And I can share with you that one of my bosses told me about this story years ago.
02:48.632 --> 02:52.399
[SPEAKER_00]: And it was about a soon to be former leader.
02:52.619 --> 02:55.965
[SPEAKER_00]: And what he did is he wrote two letters for his successor.
02:56.726 --> 03:00.572
[SPEAKER_00]: One was labeled emergency and the other one was extreme emergency.
03:01.153 --> 03:08.325
[SPEAKER_00]: And he told him, okay, well, when you're not sure what to do and you're feeling overwhelmed when things go awry
03:08.305 --> 03:09.646
[SPEAKER_00]: open the letters.
03:10.447 --> 03:18.815
[SPEAKER_00]: So things got out of hand at some point down the road and he opened the first letter and it says, blame everything on me.
03:18.855 --> 03:22.399
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, so he's he's a little more calm.
03:23.099 --> 03:29.325
[SPEAKER_00]: He moves forward and things seem to be okay, but then he encounters another emergency and he remembers the second letter.
03:30.346 --> 03:37.333
[SPEAKER_00]: So when he sits to open the second letter, he reads it and it says, prepare to write your two letters.
03:37.313 --> 03:43.239
[SPEAKER_00]: So my point with this story is you're not there to blame someone else.
03:44.080 --> 03:48.564
[SPEAKER_00]: The point is that the moment of uncertainty, it's universal for all of us.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Every one of us has to choose how we're going to respond in the midst of it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge, okay, you might be in an awesome
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[SPEAKER_00]: You're supported.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You have the resources that you need to be successful.
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[SPEAKER_00]: That's wonderful.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And if that's the case, consider yourself blessed.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But for a lot of you, I recognize that you're in a scenario where things may not necessarily be the way that you imagined.
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[SPEAKER_00]: or the way that they were described, and so now you're here, you're in these first couple of months of your job, and you're just trying to make sure that you gather everything together, that you organize it, put some type of structure to it, and that you look as if you're competent all at the same time.
04:40.257 --> 04:48.586
[SPEAKER_00]: And a reminder, you are competent, but sometimes circumstances make us forget who we are and what we're capable of doing.
04:49.647 --> 04:55.374
[SPEAKER_00]: So whether you're navigating dysfunction or building on a solid foundation, the work ahead is still the same.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You have to own your vision for what comes next.
04:58.938 --> 05:03.042
[SPEAKER_00]: And what exactly does that mean to own your vision?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Well, here's what it looks like in practice.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It is recognizing how you want the future state of your team, your department, your organization to look versus the current state.
05:13.869 --> 05:19.984
[SPEAKER_00]: You've spent a considerable time over the last couple of months observing and evaluating.
05:19.964 --> 05:26.975
[SPEAKER_00]: And you should already have an idea as to what changes need to be implemented and the stakeholders who should be involved.
05:27.716 --> 05:33.044
[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to use your documentation to coalesce a plan by the end of the 90 days.
05:33.645 --> 05:37.751
[SPEAKER_00]: And this is what you will use to present, refine, and execute.
05:38.913 --> 05:40.475
[SPEAKER_00]: Believe me, it's not going to be perfect.
05:40.996 --> 05:43.600
[SPEAKER_00]: And it doesn't have to be perfect.
05:43.620 --> 05:46.444
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I don't want you to walk into a thinking
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[SPEAKER_00]: that it has to be this exact way, but what it's going to do is it's going to help to guide your decision making as you continue on in this process.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so I have a few recommendations that I think that you should consider as you go through this next phase.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So first, as you begin to reorganize your notes,
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[SPEAKER_00]: You want them to tell a story of what needs to be accomplished.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So think about the priorities that your boss or even the organization is seeking.
06:16.251 --> 06:24.320
[SPEAKER_00]: And then compare your notes to what you've seen and heard from your boss and from the organization as a whole.
06:24.781 --> 06:28.184
[SPEAKER_00]: This is actually going to help you to see the order of importance, right?
06:28.665 --> 06:34.892
[SPEAKER_00]: And understanding the overall strategy and goals will be pivotal.
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[SPEAKER_00]: that this might not be a straightforward as you would like it to be.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And what you think is a priority, it might not take precedence at all.
06:42.628 --> 06:50.805
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's really a whole other topic of discussion because I have whole stories that I can tell you about some of my experiences.
06:51.595 --> 06:59.030
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'll just share one because I've worked at several companies that could not directly speak to the strategies and the goals of the organization.
06:59.471 --> 07:08.288
[SPEAKER_00]: And in one particular instance, I inquired numerous times and over as many months, believe me, it was very frustrating.
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[SPEAKER_00]: When I finally got my hands on it, yeah, it was more of an impact statement rather than a strategy.
07:14.824 --> 07:23.425
[SPEAKER_00]: And so it didn't even deliver what I was hoping to receive, which was something tangible to help me to map out.
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[SPEAKER_00]: what I thought that the organization needed.
07:25.848 --> 07:32.136
[SPEAKER_00]: And so my point is that you'll have to learn to do more with less because sometimes that's just how it is.
07:32.456 --> 07:37.343
[SPEAKER_00]: And so you'll have to be ready to prioritize based on what you know rather than what you don't know.
07:38.124 --> 07:47.075
[SPEAKER_00]: So moving on, now that you have a little bit of a foundation forming, you want to go and do some quick wins.
07:47.636 --> 07:51.100
[SPEAKER_00]: You want to go after those things that are the low hanging fruit.
07:51.080 --> 07:55.864
[SPEAKER_00]: And this is even better if it's done with and or for your team.
07:56.385 --> 08:02.290
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, because the earlier you can show them that you support them, the stronger they will be long-term.
08:02.811 --> 08:06.314
[SPEAKER_00]: And it will not hurt that they will be more inclined to help you.
08:06.834 --> 08:11.859
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's really what's going to be something that is a great win.
08:11.919 --> 08:14.982
[SPEAKER_00]: If you can show your team that you are there to help them.
08:15.382 --> 08:21.087
[SPEAKER_00]: And this could be something as simple as re-aligning some duties
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[SPEAKER_00]: While that might sound insignificant, believe me, this is a real thing.
08:25.874 --> 08:35.448
[SPEAKER_00]: I once had a team member who for almost a year asked an executive to transfer an employee for HR tracking purposes, and they were unsuccessful.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Something that would only take this person five minutes to do.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He could not get them to do it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I got it done in 30 days, okay, and he was impressed, and he was satisfied.
08:48.286 --> 08:56.740
[SPEAKER_00]: And so what I want to remind you of is you want to build the relationship capital, which is the perfect segue to my next point.
08:57.822 --> 09:06.396
[SPEAKER_00]: Think about those who should be in your inner circle versus those who you'll keep at arms link because everybody is not meant to be in your inner circle.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It does not take long for people to reveal who they are and how they move, okay?
09:11.681 --> 09:19.469
[SPEAKER_00]: I caution you to avoid reading into behaviors and statements, but at the same time, I don't want you to dismiss what you see in here.
09:20.170 --> 09:23.574
[SPEAKER_00]: And this is one of the reasons why it's so important to have emotional intelligence.
09:24.415 --> 09:30.181
[SPEAKER_00]: It is a must-have skill because you have to learn how to strike a balance between the two.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It is so easy.
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[SPEAKER_00]: to take things personally and to be self-conscious when you're in your early days of a new position.
09:41.455 --> 09:48.724
[SPEAKER_00]: Because you're really not sure about people's mannerisms, but this is why I don't want you to jump to conclusions, okay?
09:49.325 --> 09:54.772
[SPEAKER_00]: And then the last one that I'll leave you with is this, assess your team's talent, honestly, and early.
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[SPEAKER_00]: All right?
09:56.274 --> 10:01.982
[SPEAKER_00]: Whose expertise will you need to get particular tasks completed so that you can achieve the goals?
10:01.962 --> 10:06.467
[SPEAKER_00]: And part of this is going to require that you assess whether or not to make personnel changes.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And this is the uncomfortable part because it's not easy.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And really, the answer is not necessarily that someone has to be fired.
10:16.918 --> 10:22.664
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe they're in a position where it's really not a good fit for them.
10:23.005 --> 10:26.489
[SPEAKER_00]: And so they need to be put in a position that more closely aligns with their skillset.
10:27.189 --> 10:30.653
[SPEAKER_00]: Or maybe they just need to be in a different department.
10:31.308 --> 10:41.259
[SPEAKER_00]: And consider this, maybe they just need some professional development and they never had the right type of training in the first place to really get them started in the right direction.
10:41.699 --> 10:54.733
[SPEAKER_00]: So you have some options and if that works fantastic, but you will want to make sure that you have a solid understanding of what you need versus what they can provide.
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[SPEAKER_00]: and that will help you to make your decision.
10:57.277 --> 11:04.428
[SPEAKER_00]: And another thing that you'll want to consider is tapping into your colleagues or other departments expertise that was underutilized.
11:04.969 --> 11:10.798
[SPEAKER_00]: And this could be something as simple as making a request for reports.
11:11.234 --> 11:26.155
[SPEAKER_00]: you just don't even know how many times over the years that people have been pleasantly surprised when I delivered something just simply because I asked for the report or whatever it was that I needed from the right people.
11:26.928 --> 11:52.851
[SPEAKER_00]: because people what happens is they run into these roadblocks and they get so used to running into the roadblock that they can't see, hey, that there's a different path to potentially getting the information that I need or people are so bogged down with the chaos and busyness of their schedules that because they didn't get a response or they didn't get a response after the first couple of times of trying to get something.
11:52.831 --> 11:53.992
[SPEAKER_00]: They just forget it.
11:54.072 --> 11:54.753
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not doing it.
11:55.253 --> 12:01.580
[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's how it ends up that they can go maybe years without getting some of the information that they needed.
12:02.200 --> 12:07.445
[SPEAKER_00]: Because it's just been difficult for them and they just haven't made the time to pursue it any further.
12:08.186 --> 12:20.138
[SPEAKER_00]: Part of the reason why you're there is to help bring it all together and deliver on what people need so that you can change the course of the department, the team, the organization even.
12:21.248 --> 12:28.260
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I've giving you some sound insight so that you can establish how things are gonna be done in your corner of the kingdom.
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[SPEAKER_00]: All right?
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[SPEAKER_00]: And you've heard me say many times that leadership is hard work.
12:32.527 --> 12:45.248
[SPEAKER_00]: And the fact that you're listening, it shows that you are committed to leading well, which is really what we want, we need good leaders, and we need good leaders in all aspects of industry.
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[SPEAKER_00]: all right.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So over the next several weeks, I want you to continue to refine your plan and consider the conversations that you'll need to have and the recommendations that you'll make.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I'll give you an example even of what that could look like.
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[SPEAKER_00]: You could have one on one with your boss and you share some of your ideas on a restructured workflow.
13:05.987 --> 13:15.235
[SPEAKER_00]: Or how about this, you meet with one of your direct reports and you discuss what the performance standards are and the goals that you have
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[SPEAKER_00]: It could be something as small or relatively unimpactful, what you might think is unimpactful, but it could be significant for someone else.
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[SPEAKER_00]: These are just a few ideas, right?
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[SPEAKER_00]: You will have to determine what is best and when in your specific context.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And if you want to talk through what's going on in your particular context,
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[SPEAKER_00]: Well, then reserve a spot on my calendar so that we can meet and discuss it.
13:49.221 --> 13:54.589
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes it's just good to have a sounding board so that you can have someone to bounce some ideas off of.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So the link for that is in the show notes, right?
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[SPEAKER_00]: I just want to say that I appreciate that you're listening.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I want you to take what I when I provide to you and apply it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's only going to be helpful if you apply it, okay?
14:09.972 --> 14:12.576
[SPEAKER_00]: And
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[SPEAKER_00]: Then sign up for my newsletter.
14:15.581 --> 14:16.302
[SPEAKER_00]: It's the catalyst.
14:16.882 --> 14:26.256
[SPEAKER_00]: You can do so at crossroads in catalyst.com so that slash newsletter or you can click the link in the show notes and that'll get you signed up.
14:27.097 --> 14:34.488
[SPEAKER_00]: So until next time, be thoughtful, be wise, be strategic, and remember crossroads reveal who you are.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Catalyshape who you become, every decision matters.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So make it count.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'll talk to you next week.