Setting yourself up for success: A guide to crafting a 30-60-90 day plan

Starting a new job can be exciting and intimidating at the same time. With one in two Singapore employers planning on hiring additional team members, many job seekers are likely to start a new job in 2024. Having a plan in place can help you ease into the onboarding process while transitioning into your role, establishing priorities, and setting achievable goals. The 30-60-90-day plan is a strategic outline that can help you understand the role's responsibilities and challenges. This plan lets you outline goals and strategies for the first three months of starting a new job, internship, or other significant transition.  

In this article, we'll talk about why a 30-60-90 day plan is essential and how to make one. Here's what we'll cover:

• What is a 30-60-90 day plan?
• Benefits and uses of a 30-60-90 day plan at work
• How to create a 30-60-90 day plan
• What to include in your 30-60-90 day plan
• Tips for creating an effective 30-60-90 day plan
• Conclusion
• FAQs 

What is a 30-60-90 day plan? 

A 30-60-90 day plan is a guide that tells you what goals might be good to accomplish during your first three months at a new job. As Singapore transitions from more traditional onboarding processes to a digital workspace, you're likely to track this onboarding plan through digital means. It helps you stay organised and focused, with a clear timeline for getting things done. Singaporean companies stress the need for a 30-60-90 day plan, especially for new employees and interns.  

The point of a 30-60-90 day plan is to make sure you perform well in your new role. It also helps you easily get used to your new job responsibilities. By setting performance goals for 30, 60, and 90 days, you can decide which ones are high-level priorities and complete them on time. This plan can give you a schedule to follow and help you track your progress. It can also demonstrate your skills to your employer and show you hit the ground running from the first week. 

Having a clear 30-60-90 day plan can help you understand your company's vision and team goals, especially if the hiring manager creates the plan with or for you. This is important since most Singaporean companies prioritise group achievements and collaboration. It also shows that you're a team player willing to work hard. A strong start in the first few months of your new role can open more opportunities for career growth in the future. 

Benefits and uses of a 30-60-90 day plan at work 

A 30-60-90 day plan is a helpful tool for professionals starting a new job in Malaysia. Here are some of its benefits: 

Helps you stay focused 

Having concrete goals for the first 90 days can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed by your new responsibilities. You can identify the most important tasks and focus your time and energy on them. By prioritising your tasks, you can ensure that you're making the most impact and contributing to the organisation's goals right from the start.  

An effective 30-60-90 day plan can also help you focus on the goals needed to establish yourself as a valuable member of the team. As a new employee, this is important to your career. It's in the first few months of a new job that you can make a strong impression on your new manager. It's also the time when you can build relationships with your new team members. 

Sets expectations 

A detailed plan can serve as a communication tool. It allows you to share your intended approach and strategies with your new team members. By communicating your plan, you can align and set realistic expectations and ensure everyone is on the same page regarding your priorities and focus areas. This can help you understand the pain points and set milestones for the coming months.  

Speeds up learning 

With a plan, you can identify the skills and information you need to learn for better performance in your new role. This can help you learn faster and become productive more quickly. It allows you to direct your time and energy toward acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills to be successful in your position.  

Builds credibility 

By completing the tasks in your plan, you can demonstrate your skills and show that you're a valuable team member. This can help you build a positive reputation with your direct reports, manager or supervisor, and coworkers. It also increases your credibility, which can be critical for future promotions and career advancement. 

Supports performance reviews 

You can use your plan to measure success in your new role. It's a record of your progress and achievements that you can present during performance reviews. A well-thought-out plan also demonstrates your organisational skills and ability to be proactive, which are highly valued qualities in any professional setting. By actively seeking feedback and adding it to your plan, you can continuously adapt your approach. This allows you to regularly improve and make a positive impact on your new position. 

How to create a 30-60-90 day plan 

Creating a plan for the first 30, 60, and 90 days of a new job requires careful preparation and strategic thinking. Here's a step-by-step guide that you can follow whether you're developing this plan on your own or with a new manager:

• Research and collect information. Start by gathering information about your new job, team, and company. Understand your expectations and identify any challenges or opportunities.
• Set relevant goals. Decide what you want to achieve in the first 30, 60, and 90 days. Make sure you set realistic goals that align with your job and company objectives.
• Prioritise tasks and milestones. Break down your goals into smaller tasks and milestones based on their importance and urgency. Take note of your top priorities. These could include learning about the company's internal processes, building relationships with new colleagues, completing specific projects, or undergoing additional training.
• Plan your actions: Create a plan for each task or milestone. Consider what actions you need to take, what resources you need, and when you plan to complete each task. Make sure you set realistic deadlines.
• Get feedback. Share your plan with your manager or mentor and ask for their feedback. Many Singaporean workplaces consider real-time feedback to be necessary.
• Work on your plan. Start working on your plan with consistent actions to complete the tasks and milestones you have set. Stay focused and adaptable – making adjustments when necessary – and review and track your progress regularly.
• Evaluate and adjust: At the end of each phase, evaluate your progress and make changes to your plan or goals as needed. Learn from your achievements and challenges to improve your future actions as one of the new hires. 

Remember, your 30-60-90 day plan isn't set in stone. Stay open-minded and flexible, and adjust your plan as you gain more knowledge and experience within the new company. With consistent effort and focus, your plan can set you up for future success. 

What to include in your 30-60-90 day plan 

In your 30-60-90 day plan, it's important to include different types of objectives, such as learning goals, performance goals, and personal goals. Here's an explanation of each type, along with examples and goal-setting templates: 

Learning goals 

Learning goals focus on gaining new knowledge and transferable skills or understanding specific aspects of your role within the company. It's helpful to establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for each phase of your plan to achieve success. Here's an example and a template: 

Example:

• 30-day learning goal: Gain a deep understanding of the company's products and services.
• 60-day learning goal: Master the use of the company's CRM software.
• 90-day learning goal: Develop proficiency in creating sales presentations. 

Goal-setting template:

• Phase: [30/60/90 days]
• Goal: [Specific learning goal]
• Actions: [List of actions to achieve the learning goal]
• Timeline: [The specified deadline to accomplish the learning goal] 

Performance goals 

Performance goals focus on specific metrics and outcomes you want to achieve in your new job. These should be measurable and aligned with your job responsibilities and the company's goals. Here's an example and a template: 

Example:

• 30-day performance goal: Complete three new projects with high customer satisfaction ratings.
• 60-day performance goal: Increase sales by 10% through proactive outreach and relationship building.
• 90-day performance goal: Lead a cross-functional team successfully implementing a new process. 

Goal-setting template:

• Phase: [30/60/90 days]
• Goal: [Specific performance goal]
• Actions: [List of actions to achieve the performance goal]
• Timeline: [Specified deadline to accomplish the performance goal] 

Personal goals 

Personal goals focus on your professional and personal development, well-being, or work-life balance. These goals can help you maintain a healthy and fulfilling overall experience in your role. Here's an example and a template: 

Example:

• 30-day personal goal: Establish a daily routine that includes exercise and mindfulness practices.
• 60-day personal goal: Attend at least one professional networking event to expand my industry connections.
• 90-day personal goal: Seek feedback from colleagues and create a plan for personal growth and development. 

Goal-setting template:

• Phase: [30/60/90 days]
• Goal: [Specific personal goal]
• Actions: [List of actions to achieve the personal goal]
• Timeline: [Specified deadline to accomplish the personal goal] 

Remember, these examples and templates are just starting points. Customise them to your specific role, company, and personal objectives. Ensure that your goals are realistic, actionable, and aligned with the overall purpose of your 30-60-90 day plan. Regularly review and update your goals and actions as you progress through each phase of your plan. 

Tips for creating an effective 30-60-90 day plan 

Creating an effective 30-60-90 day plan requires careful consideration and attention to detail. Here are some tips to help you create a plan that is specific, actionable, measurable, and adaptable: 

Emphasise specificity and actionability 

When setting goals, be specific and avoid generic statements. These should be clear and measurable goals. Here are examples of specific versus generic goals:

• Generic goal: Improve customer satisfaction.
• Specific goal: Increase customer satisfaction ratings by 10% within the first 30 days by implementing a new employee feedback system. 

Similarly, make your goals actionable by including specific tasks to achieve them. Here are examples of actionable goals versus non-actionable goals:

• Non-actionable goal: Increase sales.
• Actionable goal: Increase sales by implementing a targeted email marketing campaign and attending networking events to expand the customer base. 

Encourage the use of SMART goals 

SMART goals provide a clear framework and well-rounded objectives. Consider the following example:

• Regular goal: Increase website traffic.
• SMART goal: Increase website traffic by 20% within the first 60 days by implementing SEO optimisation techniques, publishing regular blog content, and promoting on social media. 

Advocate for a growth mindset and adaptability 

Having a growth mindset means embracing challenges, learning from failures, and seeking continuous improvement. It's essential to demonstrate your adaptability to change and be open to new ideas or approaches. This mindset can contribute to your success in a new role. It can also make your 30-60-90-day plan more effective. 

Quantify your progress in your plan 

Combine key success metrics into the company's business goals. This could include revenue targets, customer satisfaction ratings, or project completion rates. Also, include quantifiable metrics for learning and development goals for new employees. For example, obtaining a specific certification or completing a certain number of educational resources. 

Keep the plan short and easy to understand 

Remove any unnecessary points to keep your plan short. If you can, limit each section to one page so you have three pages in total. If not, you can go up to eight pages, especially if you format the document for readability. Focus on including key actionable steps that are essential to measure the success of your goals. Others are more likely to read and understand a concise and straightforward plan. 

Remember, these tips aim to guide you in creating an effective 30-60-90 day plan. Customise your plan to your specific role, your company's mission, and objectives. Regularly review and update your plan as needed. This will ensure it remains relevant and aligned with your evolving goals and responsibilities. 

Conclusion 

Having a well-thought-out plan for your first 30, 60, and 90 days at a new job can help you set clear goals, take action, and measure your progress. It's essential to have specific goal-oriented tasks and a SMART goal-setting framework to make the plan work. Be open to learning and adapting while keeping track of your progress. 

Use the 30-60-90-day plan template for goal setting in a new company followed by clear strategies and specific actions. Use examples and guidelines to create a plan that helps you get comfortable and grow in your role. This can help you align your goals and deliverables with the expectations of the hiring manager and your employer. With a good plan in place, you'll feel more confident settling into your new role in Singapore. And by working hard in your first 30, 60, and 90 days as a new hire, you can be a stand-out employee.  

FAQs 

Here are answers to common questions about the 30-60-90 day plan: 

1. How flexible should the plan be?
   ⁠It's essential to have some flexibility in your plan. Your plan should adjust to changing circumstances while staying focused on your goals. Make sure that any changes you make align with your overall objectives and expectations. 
2. What if my goals change during the initial months?
   ⁠It's normal for your goals to change as you learn more about your role and the new work environment. If this happens, take some time to think about your top priorities and adjust your 90-day plan accordingly. Let your hiring manager or mentor know about any changes you make. They can provide feedback or suggest concrete goals to add to your plan. 
3. What is the process of a 30-60-90 day plan?
   ⁠To create a 30-60-90 day plan, start by researching your new role, team, and company. Then, set specific goals for each phase of your plan. In the goals, outline the actions you'll need to take to achieve them. Get feedback from your manager or mentor and make any necessary adjustments. Finally, execute your plan, regularly review your progress, and make updates as needed. 
4. What is the 30-60-90 day integration plan?
   ⁠A 30-60-90 day integration plan is not just about setting individual goals and tasks on the team project. It's also about integrating yourself into a new team and fitting into the company's culture. This can include building relationships with colleagues and understanding how the team works together. You can also learn about company processes and systems and look for opportunities to contribute to the organisation's overall success.