Day 0 on the Job: Getting a Head Start

Congratulations! You got it -- the big job you had been holding your breath for (and perhaps were a little scared to say yes to). Now that you have said yes, what should you do next? If you are currently employed you likely have lots of loose ends to tie, and even if you aren't you probably have a variety of transition activities to undertake. That all said, there are some steps you can take right now to help make your first year on your new job MUCH, MUCH easier.

If you haven't already, now is the time to get your hands on:

- the budget

- the strategic plan

- the development calendar

- the communications calendar

- a copy of all the proposals and agreements for any grants the organization is currently receiving

- a list of all staff members and a copy of all job descriptions

- a list (with contact information!) of all board members

- a list (with contact information!) of all major donors

Yep. You have a lot of reading to do! And besides that, you have a lot of meetings to set up. You may be wondering if you can't wait and start when you are actually getting paid to be at your new job, but there is plenty of reason to start now.

Ideally, your Day 1 would be devoted to accepting congraulations from your new staff, arranging your potted fern on your desk and spending a good amount of time reading up on where the organization has been and where it's giong. Most likely though, you will come in to find there are already checks that need signing, calls that need returning, and projects that you must step right into the helm of.

Having right at your fingertips (and having reviewed carefully beforehand!) the list above means you can walk into the office with a pretty good handle on what your constraints are (budget), your immediate to-dos are (strategic plan, development and communications calendars, and grant documents that tell you what your deliverables are & when they are due), who you can enlist to help (staff) and who you need to meet with ASAP. This will be critical since there will be many people immediately vying for your time and many projects you could potentially find yourself taking on.

A little time spent upfront (yes, probably before you are ever on the payroll) will go a long way towards your long time success -- and happiness -- in your new role.

#coaching