The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan

George B. Bradt has a unique perspective on helping leaders move into complex, high-stakes new roles. After graduating from Harvard and Wharton (MBA), George spent two decades in sales, marketing, and general management around the world at companies including Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, and then J.D. Power as chief executive of its Power Information Network spin-off. Now, he is a principal of CEO Connection and managing director of PrimeGenesis, the executive onboarding and transition acceleration group he founded in 2002. George can be reached at gbradt@primegenesis.com. Jayme A. Check offers a dynamic and global perspective gained from executive roles in firms ranging from start-ups to the Fortune 500 and leadership positions in sales, business development, and general management at companies including J.P. Morgan, Guidance Solutions, and Brice Manufacturing. In addition to being a PrimeGenesis founder and author of its onboarding and transition acceleration methodology, Jayme is President of Quantum Leap Associates, a firm focused on providing executives worldwide with authentic and measurable leadership skills. He earned a BS from Syracuse University and an MBA from UCLA's Anderson School. Jayme can be reached at jcheck@primegenesis.com. Jorge E. Pedraza, PhD, is a former professor and a founding partner of PrimeGenesis. He helped develop the PrimeGenesis onboarding and transition acceleration methodology and has since deployed it to found and build Unison Site Management, the nation's leading independent cell site acquisition and management company. Jorge can be reached at jpedraza@primegenesis.com.

Preface ix Acknowledgments xiii Introduction An Executive Summary of the Onboarding Process xv PART I BECOME THE BEST CANDIDATE FOR THE JOB. CHAPTER 1 Position Yourself for a New Role 3 Tool 1.1 BRAVE Preferences (Downloadable) 16 Tool 1.1b BRAVE Preferences Guide (Downloadable) 18 Tool 1.2 Five-Step Career Plan (Downloadable) 20 CHAPTER 2 Sell before You Buy: Answer the Only Three Interview Questions 22 Tool 2.1 Negotiating Prep and Guidelines (Downloadable) 33 PART II DISCOVER YOUR NEW ROLE: IT'S ALWAYS MORE THAN YOU THINK IT IS. CHAPTER 3 Map and Avoid the Most Common Land Mines 39 CHAPTER 4 Do Your Due Diligence before You Accept the Job Offer 51 Tool 4.1 Risk Assessment Checklist (Downloadable) 63 PART III TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR OWN START. CHAPTER 5 Choose the Right Approach for the Business Context and the Culture You Face 69 Tool 5.1 Context Assessment Sheet (Downloadable) 81 Tool 5.2 Culture Assessment Sheet (Downloadable) 83 Tool 5.2b BRAVE Culture Assessment (Downloadable) 85 Tool 5.3 Context and Culture Map (Downloadable) 88 Tool 5.4 Contributor/Watcher Map (Downloadable) 89 CHAPTER 6 Embrace and Leverage the Fuzzy Front End before Day One 90 Tool 6.1 100-Day Checklist (Downloadable) 112 Tool 6.1b 100-Day Checklist Sample: New Company (Downloadable) 115 Tool 6.2 Stakeholder Map (Downloadable) 117 Tool 6.3 Onboarding Conversation Framework (Downloadable) 118 Tool 6.4 Relocation Checklist (Downloadable) 120 CHAPTER 7 Take Control of Day One: Make a Powerful First Impression 122 Tool 7.1 Day One Checklist (Downloadable) 133 Tool 7.2 New Manager s Assimilation Session (Downloadable) 134 CHAPTER 8 Motivate and Focus Your Team with Ongoing Communications (Including Social Media) 135 Tool 8.1 Broader Stakeholder Map (Downloadable) 153 Tool 8.2 Communication Guide (Downloadable) 154 Tool 8.3 Communication Campaign Milestones (Downloadable) 155 PART IV IMPLEMENT YOUR 100-DAY ACTION PLAN. CHAPTER 9 Embed a Burning Imperative by Day 30 159 Tool 9.1 Burning Imperative Workshop Tool (Downloadable) 169 CHAPTER 10 Exploit Key Milestones to Drive Team Performance by Day 45 171 Tool 10.1 Team Milestones (Downloadable) 179 CHAPTER 11 Overinvest in Early Wins to Build Team Confi dence by Day 60 181 Tool 11.1 Team Charter Tool (Downloadable) 188 CHAPTER 12 Secure ADEPT People in the Right Roles and Deal with Inevitable Resistance by Day 70 189 Tool 12.1 Performance/Role Match (Downloadable) 203 CHAPTER 13 Evolve People, Plans, and Practices to Capitalize on Changing Circumstances 204 APPENDICES. APPENDIX I Deploy Six Basic Elements of Leadership 213 APPENDIX II Complete a Situation Assessment to Inform Your Plan 220 Tool A2.1 5Cs Situation Analysis Guidelines (Downloadable) 223 Tool A2.2 SWOT Form (Downloadable) 226 APPENDIX III Leverage These 15 Secrets to Become a Great Communicator 228 Tool A3.1 Communication Planning Tool (Downloadable) 234 Tool A3.2 Press Interviews (Downloadable) 236 APPENDIX IV Bring More Discipline to Your Strategic Planning Process 237 APPENDIX V Manage People and Practices with Standardized Processes that Are Public and Visual 244 Tool A5.1 Role Scope (Downloadable) 252 APPENDIX VI Leading When You Were Promoted from Within or Internally Transferred 254 Tool A6.1 Announcement Cascade Checklist (Downloadable) 269 APPENDIX VII Leading a Department/Team Merger, Reorganization, or Restart 271 APPENDIX VIII The International Manager: Adapting and Building Trust When You re a Foreigner 274 APPENDIX IX Leading through a Crisis: A 100-Hour Action Plan 278 Tool A9.1 100-Hour Action Plan for Crisis Management (Downloadable) 285 Tool A9.1b 100-Hour Action Plan for Crisis Management Guide (Downloadable) 287 APPENDIX X Onboarding: How Organizations and Supervisors Can Dramatically Boost the Odds of a New Leader's Success 289 APPENDIX XI Sample 100-Day Plans 301 Tool A6.1b 100-Day Checklist Sample: New Company Head of Marketing (Downloadable) 302 Tool A6.1c 100-Day Checklist Sample: Promoted from Within from Comptroller to CFO (Downloadable) 304 Tool A6.1d 100-Day Checklist Sample: New Country Manager France (Downloadable) 306 References 309 About the Authors 311 Index 313