Here is the complete transcript of the podcast
Welcome back, and happy Sunday morning to you on the podcast today I’m answering a question. A lot of questions. I’m just trying to figure out how I can get to all this came in about a month ago.
“Srini. I’m starting a job next month, I wanted to check with you, what should I be doing in the first 30, 60, or 90 days that will ensure that I become successful?” So this is a long question, but that’s the gist of it. So this individual is not a podcast listener, and maybe a radio listener, I think, but came to a carrier breakthrough workshop I did in 2015. And then subsequently joined my career coaching program. So that is the connection. And this was along the way, we have been going back and forth on emails and all. That’s the connection. And that’s how he’s asking me this question. So the potty, 60 – 90 days formula back in the day, at the workshop, I did share this principle. And I shared that principle back then, because about 2013, or 2014, an incredible book came out by the author, Michael Watkins, Michael Watkins wrote a book called The first 90 days, I read this book then. And ever since I’ve seen so many celebrities, experts, CEOs, kind of talking about this book, primarily the CEOs talking about this book, I’ve seen managers talk about this book, also with some of the companies that I consulted with. So this has become an incredible book, bestseller, an international bestseller, and all that.
So I highly recommend that if you’re listening to this podcast right now, and you’re not in a job market, or you’re not looking for a job doesn’t matter, I think you should read this book. So get this book read the book, it is going to change his game. So because I was so fresh, reading the book, I kind of made it a point in the workshop, that everybody all the attendees should read that book. So I was driving that point. And there was a discussion around why the initial few days are very important, the impression you create, and all that. So the short answer to the question is to go back and read that book, or get the book. But more, you know, if my answer is a little bit different, okay, so there are specific things that I want you to do in the first four weeks of the job. And this is what I quote, now I train people now, I’ll give these six steps to you. The first and foremost thing that you have to do is understand the power structure they have on the job, try to understand the power structure day to do it. day two, day three, do it for the next four weeks, who is powerful, who is not more powerful? Who has the leverage, who doesn’t have the leverage, you need to have a clear understanding of the landscape. First thing I would do.
The second thing I would do is, who hired me? And what are their goals? Sometimes managers tell the goals, but sometimes they really, they warm up to their goals, their desires. Sometimes some managers have hidden desires, they don’t say it or they don’t express the take time to express so your job is to extract those from them. So that’s the second thing I would do. Then a question that I started lately adding is, does the hiring manager or the hiring person? What is their authority? And do they have respect for people? The first thing to happen for you, and could be the best thing that to happen to you depends on how you look at this is you walk in day one into work. And you’ll see that none of the people on the floor are respecting the hiring manager who hired you as the sort of good person to be. So respect is very important. I give respect more importance. Now sometimes there are managers or leaders you find don’t have authority. If they have a title, they don’t have the authority. Like somebody formalized the power by giving them a title, you’re a VP you are a CTO or CIO or a yo whatever. They don’t have. They don’t have authority. They can’t make decisions. They don’t have clarity. They can’t guide you. Got to be careful with that. So I would understand it. Have a bit more. And then I will focus on who in the organization doesn’t want me to be important. Who doesn’t want me? You can’t say that everybody wants you. These are interpersonal dynamics. We can’t assume that everybody likes us. We can’t assume that everybody dislikes us either.
So it’s important to surgically methodically mathematically separate, who likes and who doesn’t like, and the people who really like us. What are the things they like about us? And what are the things they don’t like about us? So we need to understand the likes and dislikes within the category of people who, like us. And the same level, we need to understand the likes and dislikes of people in the category who do not like us at all. And then there is also an in-between category, sometimes you can’t, this category is people you cannot really no matter how smart you are. And then the next question is, how can I influence them? To like me, to want me. So the mind has to go there. And the last one is, in what way, my work will be undermined here? You give an example. I hear this all the time happened to me in my previous life, where I was an employee, and I was working, I do the work and somebody else, somebody else wants the credit. I do the work. Before I speak, they speak in the meetings. Not that I was a bad speaker either. But they would. And they get away with it. And I walk away from these meetings thinking that ah, you know, I should have said this, I should have said that. And doesn’t help. Doesn’t work later, because it has to happen at the moment. So there is a certain level of Gatti that you have to have to pull through those conversations. So who is going to undermine my work? The counter to that question is who’s going to appreciate my work? So people fall into the precision pot, it’s important that you understand who will undermine your work. These are the six things I would focus on in the first 30 days, and four weeks on the job. I’m not saying these are the and I’m sharing anything superior to what Michael Watkins wrote in the first 90 days, I’m not saying you should read that book. But this is something these six are very important. Okay. Great question. Appreciate. Sorry for getting back so late on this. Hopefully, this helps.
And for all of you who are listening to this podcast, hopefully, this is helpful to you. If it is, do me a favor. Just drop me a comment. Let me know if you’re watching this on YouTube. This should be a place for you to write a comment. You’re listening to this on the podcasting app for sure you can write a review, you can comment, and all that. And if you have a question for me, then, by all means, 888-818-0404, 888-818-0404 is the number you can text me and you can call and leave me a message with your question and I promise you, I’m going to use it as a voice drop on the podcast and respond to it. Okay, that’s all for now. You have a wonderful Sunday, remainder, whatever you have, and I’ll catch up with you as early as tomorrow. Stay tuned. Bye now.