The 30 60 90 day plan for Managers and Executives is a critical leadership tool. Whether you’re starting a new job, beginning a strategic initiative or project, or just want to align your boss and team to what you’re focused on.  The purpose of the 30 60 90 day plan is widely misunderstood, as I pointed out in my first blog on this topic. It has nothing to do with helping you “get up to speed” or “hit the ground running” and everything to do with aligning your boss and management team to a definition and framework for success.

30 60 90 day plan for Managers – why you need it

The 30 60 90 day plan is designed so your hiring will be declared an unequivocal success after 3 months by the people who matter most to your career. As a manager or executive this is extra important given the stakes and expectations are so high. If you use the plan correctly, it will guarantee you will be fully aligned with your boss and leadership team on a common definition of success. That is absolutely vital to continuing your career trajectory and building a track record for winning. 

Contrary to popular belief, the 30 60 90 day plan for Managers is not about making sure you focus on learning or training or any other administrative tasks. You’re a leader – no one cares that you got your computer up and running and did your company-mandated compliance training. The purpose of the 30 60 90 day plan for Managers and Executives is to set the foundation for your leadership career advancement.

30 60 90 day plan for Managers – customize for your role

While the basic goal of all 30 60 90 day plans is the same, you can and should customize your plan based on the situation you’re in and the role you hold or would like to hold. I offer a free, basic 30 60 90 day template you can use if want something quick and dirty, but I would strongly recommend trying my 30 60 90 day plan for Managers and Executives or my 30 60 90 day plan for Sales if you’re serious about making a great impression. My 30 60 90 day plan templates have been downloaded over 60,000 times – they work very well, and I use them myself. 

>> Get my 30 60 90 Day Plan Template for Managers and Executives

>> Get my 30 60 90 Day Plan Template for Sales

The 30 60 90 day plan for Managers – use cases

It’s very difficult to be successful as a manager if you don’t have a great 30 60 90 day plan. In the interview process, this plan will differentiate you from other leadership candidates. Imagine if you’re competing against two other candidates, neither one shows up with a beautifully designed plan showing how they’ll attack the job, but you do! It’s instant and easy differentiation – you will get edge from it.

Once you have landed the job, the 30 60 90 day plan for Executives can help you build a reputation as a seasoned, thoughtful executive. I use it at the beginning of every major project, after any role change or promotion – I use it whenever I can. When used correctly, it will demonstrate that you can think logically and thoughtfully about how to build a team and attack a management problem.

30 60 90 day plan for Managers examples

 I often get asked to provide 30 60 90 day plan for Managers examples so readers can see what content should be inside a great plan. I’ve taken a moment to outline the core contents and show some examples. The template contains much more than these examples, but this will give you a window into the core content.

The situational assessment

All great manager’s start by performing a situational audit or assessment. The 30 60 90 day plan for managers and executives is no different. Without this context, you run the risk of being perceived as an activity based, immature manager. My recommendation in the first phase of the plan is to focus on demonstrating how you’ll gain a solid understanding of the business situation and competencies of your team.

Here is an example slide from the template:

The strategic initiatives plan

Now that you’ve completed a situational assessment, you need showcase your ability to build a focused plan that addresses top tier initiatives. One thing that distinguishes average managers and great managers is the ability to focus on the most important issues only. My recommendation is to spend the second part of your plan describing how you’ll build a plan that addresses the most prominent opportunities and gaps.

Here is an example slide from the template:

The management dashboard

The last thing you must focus on in your 30 60 90 day plan for managers is the management and measurement framework. There is no point in describing a strategic initiatives plan if you aren’t able to measure it. My recommendation is to focus the final phase of your leadership 30 60 90 day plan on providing a KPI dashboard or performance scorecard to measure the success of your strategic initiatives.

Here is an example slide from the template:

30 60 90 day plan for Managers and Executives – final thoughts

The 30 60 90 day plan is a vital tool in your leadership arsenal. There are so many uses for it, and it’s a great management practice when starting any new job or project. If you want a head start, you can download my ready-to-use template. It has all of the content built already, it’s beautifully designed and easy to customize for your specific job situation.

Download the 30 60 90 day plan for Managers

I hope my templates are helpful for you. And if you don’t feel like grabbing one, I hope these tips will make it a bit easier next time you need to build a plan.