The Honeymoon Is Over

Hoping for the best, course correction and inner learning

Photo by Daniel Chicchon on Unsplash

If like many leaders you took on a new challenge at the start of this year, you’re a full six months in.

It doesn’t get as much attention as the first 90 or 100 days, but the six-month point in a new role is a noteworthy moment.

You’ve passed the onboarding stage and those first 90 days are long gone. Your desire to make a mark and hit the ground at full speed means you’ve been quick to shed the ‘new’ label. You're already in the thick of it. The expectations that you’ll be delivering are on.

On the flip side, you’re only six months in. And new leaders can take between 9 and 14 months to develop a strategic vision and build the right team to deliver it.

If you’ve got this far though and all external signs are positive, you are doing something right. Even if your inner voice is calling you to question whether you're doing well enough.

The challenge is to maintain the momentum you’ve been building in the direction you need. And to continue building your confidence as you grow.

There are two approaches open to you here. The first is to carry on as you are and hope for the best.

If you’re busy and in the thick of it, this will be your default.

The second is to take a moment and reflect on what’s going well, what needs more focus and hone in on what’s needed next to deliver your vision.

Here are six things to help you do just that.

---

Focus: Leadership-level roles are multi-dimensional. There are five areas that McKinsey suggests that leaders should focus on to make an impact regardless of technical expertise.

• Where have you focussed your attention the most these last six months?

• What opportunities exist to broaden your impact in the next six?

• What would results could that bring?

Assess: The Impact v Effort Matrix helps distinguish quick wins from areas of longer-term investment. It can be a useful tool to help you think strategically about what will get you the biggest return on your investment in your role.

• What quick wins have you accomplished over the first six months?

• If you were to allocate a % to each box that represents how much of your attention you’ve invested in each, what would that be? And what do you need it to be?

• What opportunities exist to readdress the balance; and tackle the thankless tasks that are taking up your time?

If these models look familiar, you’re right. We used both to explore how to make a quick impact in your new leadership role earlier in the year.

For those of you who missed it the first time around, or are about to start a new challenge and need wins fast, you can read the full piece below:

The art of making an impact, fast.

Ask: The six-month point is a great time to check in with those around you and get specific feedback about what’s working and what you could do more of. This piece by Carolyn O’Hara in HBR will help get those conversations started.

Learn: Taking on a new challenge means you face a lot of learning; about your new team, your new boss, new function, organisation, or client. You also learn a lot about yourself. However, when we think about how much we’ve learned, it’s common to focus on the external rather than the internal.

• What have you learned about yourself these last six months?

• What led to the biggest learning for you?

• What has come easier to you than you imagined it would? What was harder than you thought it would be?

Check: The first few months are a ‘getting to know you’ period; you get to know the reality of the business and the business gets to know you. That first point is important, because there will be things that you love, and also things that perhaps you don’t.

At the six-month point, you’re clued up about internal politics and priorities, but you are also still new enough to ask innocent questions and challenge the norms. (And with job market conventions being out the window, it’s also not too soon to quit if things really haven’t turned out the way you expected).

Ask yourself:

• What do I love about the world and the role that I’m currently working in?

• What isn’t as I expected? What could it be like?

• What opportunities do I have as a leader to influence change?

Praise: Think about what you’ve achieved so far and what you’re doing now, that wasn’t in your remit or gift six months ago. What three things are you most proud of?

Now is as good a time as any to give yourself a pat on the back.

---

Last week’s issue: The Self Discipline Delusion

If you found this piece useful, I’d love it if you could forward it or share it with someone who needs a touch of inspiration today. Just click on the button below.