The 30-60-90 Day Plan: Your Secret Weapon for New Job Success

The start of a new job can feel daunting – absorbing new processes, meeting new coworkers and making plans for the work ahead. But setting goals doesn’t have to be overwhelming . Using frameworks like the 30-60-90 day plan can be a great opportunity to set intentions with a new employer and create agreement over the priorities and measures of success in your first few months. Done well, it can help you make a positive first impression on a new employer or even the hiring manager that you hope will be your new boss. 

Don’t know where to start? Check out Indeed’s favorite templates for 30-60-90 day plans below and pick up some useful tips for setting the right goals for your career. 

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Starting a new job is exciting and invigorating, but it can also be overwhelming. Creating a goal-driven plan can help you adjust to your new position quickly and effectively. 30-60-90 day plans are great tools for an effective start to a new position. In this article, we discuss 30-60-90 day plans, explain how to create them and provide a template, example and useful tips to help you get started on your own.

What is a 30-60-90 day plan?

A 30-60-90 day plan is a document used to set goals and strategize your first three months in a new job. 30-60-90 day plans help maximize work output in the first 90 days in a new position by creating specific, manageable goals tied to the company's mission and the role's duties and expectations.

30-60-90 day plans are usually created during the final stages of the interview process or in the first week on the new job. The central tenant of the 30-60-90 day plan should be an organizational definition of success. All employees should be working towards the same company-driven goals, so the plan should align with overall company success.

All industries and job roles can benefit from a 30-60-90 day plan, but they are most commonly made for sales representatives and managers. These roles tend to work independently, so taking time to align goals with the mission of the company ensures that all new employees are contributing to the success of the organization.

The benefits and uses of a 30-60-90 day plan

There are many benefits and uses for a 30-60-90 day plan including the following:

Benefits

Here are some of the benefits of implementing a 30-60-90 day plan:

• Focus: Creating a clear focus for your first 90 days on the job ensures that your daily actions will be productive.

• Goal-setting: The goals you set in your 30-60-90 day plan will help you integrate quickly and smoothly into the organization.

• Success: Your supervisors will see that you are capable of self-management and achieving goals. This indicates that you are an employee worthy of development.

Uses

Here are the best uses for a 30-60-90 day plan:

• New job: 30-60-90 day plans are a great way to productively use your time to learn about your new job and begin working. These plans are most often associated with beginning a new job.

• Project: 30-60-90 day plans can help create an actionable project template. They are useful in dividing a project into manageable tasks.

• Performance review: 30-60-90 day plans can be implemented following a performance review. Take the constructive feedback you received and create a 30-60-90 day plan to meet your end goal.

How to create a 30-60-90 day plan

30-60-90 day plans should include goals. Use SMART goals to help establish the ideal targets. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. SMART goals guarantee that your targets will be actionable and quantifiable. Follow the steps below to create a 30-60-90 day plan:

1. Draft a template.

2. Define goals.

3. Identify 30-day targets.

4. Identify 60-day targets.

5. Identify 90-day targets.

6. Create action items.

1. Draft a template

Create or find a pre-made template to manage your 30-60-90 day plan. Your template should have spaces for your goals for 30, 60 and 90 days, spaces for different types of goals and spaces for actions to achieve your goals.

2. Define goals

Determine your goals for your new position. These should be SMART goals that are either learning goals, performance goals or personal goals. Make a general list of goals and then sort them into the appropriate category on your template.

3. Identify 30-day targets

Look at your list of learning, personal and performance goals. Identify any knowledge or learning-based goals. The first 30 days on the job should be dedicated to learning about the company and your specific role.

4. Identify 60-day targets

Identify goals related to contribution. These goals should rely on implementing the knowledge gained during the first 30 days. The second 30 days of work should focus on contributing to the company's mission.

5. Identify 90-day targets

Identify goals related to leadership. The final 30 days should focus on using the knowledge and experience gained in the first 60 days to appropriately and effectively lead a team.

6. Create action items

Look at your goals by type and date. Create a list of action items that can be used to assess whether or not you have met your goals. These should be measurable and achievable.

Tips

Use these tips to create the best 30-60-90 day plan for your industry and role.

• Be specific. Keep the language in your 30-60-90 day plan specific and actionable.

• Use SMART goals. Your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Assess each goal for these factors before adding it to your 30-60-90 day plan.

• Maintain a growth mindset. Prepare to adjust your goals and actions as needed. Learn and adapt from unsuccessful strategies rather than giving up.

• Prepare to quantify. At the end of each 30 days, quantify your progress. Use this information to inform your next 30 days of work.

• Make it readable. Keep your 30-60-90 day plan short. It should be skimmable at one to two pages long.