“The president of the United States gets 100 days

to prove himself, you get 90.”

Professor Michael Watkins Harvard Business School –

global authority on the first 90 days

Setting out and co-creating your first 90-day plan is still the single most successful way of achieving a positive working relationship. Why do certain

individuals get the favourable accounts and leads, and others don’t?

STEP 1

The unwritten/psychological/informal contract with your line manager:

What are their own priorities, expectations, beliefs and attitudes? Simple as how often they want updates and in what form.

Managing and agreeing expectations is THE vital step.

Identify the most pressing challenges your potential future line managers are facing. Look to solve these as effectively as possible using your knowledge, expertise and network of resources.

Praise, no need to dive and take the credit, make your line manager look like a star and then ask to be appropriately rewarded.

In preparation for a successful start to your career at a new company or with a new line manager. It is vital that you establish boundaries of the informal contract beyond the contract of employment. It is my observation that two employees at the same level can be treated very differently depending on the relationship they have with their line manager and the start is the best place to establish this.