Your First 90 Days Matter More Than You Think

Your First 90 Days Aren’t a Trial Period. They’re Your Brand Launch.

Eight months of searching.
Finally landed the role.

Then my client called me—panicking.

“Nobody told me the first 90 days would be this hard.”

She was drowning in unspoken expectations.
Office politics she didn’t understand.
A team quietly watching to see if she’d last.

Here's What I Want You to Know About Starting a New Role

Your first 90 days aren’t just your probation period.

They’re your brand launch.

Every interaction.
Every meeting.
Every deadline.

They’re all data points in the story being written about you.

And that story?
It sticks.

Miss one deadline in week three?
“She’s not detail-oriented.”

Stay quiet in meetings?
“He lacks executive presence.”

Jump in too fast?
“She doesn’t respect how we do things.”

What They’re Really Evaluating

While you’re trying to remember names and find the bathroom, your new company is quietly answering one question:

“Did we make the right hire?”

They’re watching for:

• Do you listen before you bulldoze?

• Can you read the room—and the politics?

• Do you build bridges or burn them?

• Are you the person we interviewed… or someone else entirely?

The Biggest Mistake I See

“I’ll just keep my head down and observe for a while.”

Wrong.

While you’re waiting to get up to speed, assumptions are being made.
Opinions are forming.
Your reputation is being built—without your input.

You don’t need to revolutionize the trade strategy in week two.

But you do need to show up.
Ask questions.
Share perspective.
Be visible.

Because invisible new hires become forgotten employees.

The Framework That Actually Works

Days 1–30 — Listen Like Your Career Depends on It

• Map the real org chart (not the one on paper)

• Identify who actually makes decisions

• Learn the unwritten rules before you break them

Days 31–60 — Align Before You Act

• What does your boss actually care about?
  (Hint: it’s not in your job description)

• What landmines did the last person leave behind?

• Where can you add value without stepping on toes?

Days 61–90 — Show Them Who They Hired

• Share insights from your fresh perspective

• Take ownership of one meaningful project

• Build your internal network before you need it

Here’s the Truth

You don’t need to be perfect in your first 90 days.

You need to be intentional.

That client who was panicking?
She used this framework.

By day 91, her boss told her:

“You’ve accomplished more in three months than your predecessor did in a year.”

Not because she worked harder.
Because she worked smarter.

Your Move

Starting a new role soon?
Already in one?

Write this down:

• 5 people you need to know

• 3 things you need to understand about the culture

• 1 way you can add value in your first 30 days

Then actually do it.

Because your first 90 days aren’t about impressing everyone.

They’re about becoming the person they’ll fight to keep.

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