The first 90 days
Issue 8: How I onboard as a product designer at a new organization
Feeling overwhelmed on day one at a new job is like trying to drink from a fire hydrant—messy, challenging, but somehow exhilarating. If you’ve ever found yourself in this whirlwind, you’re not alone.
A career coach once shared a transformative strategy with me—the 90-day plan. This plan isn’t just a roadmap; it’s a compass that guides you through the initial chaos, helping you make a powerful impact in your new role.
A Structured Start: The Framework
On my first day, the 90-day plan zeroed in on what truly mattered. It wasn’t just about ticking boxes; it was about setting a foundation for meaningful contributions.
Here’s how I broke it down:
Learning: Dive deep into the company’s culture, team dynamics, and processes. Your mission? Absorb everything like a sponge.
Performance: Identify key performance metrics for your role. What does success look like, and how will you measure it?
Personal Growth: Set personal milestones. Maybe it’s mastering a new design tool or technique or leading a workshop.
To kickstart your journey, here’s my 90-day Plan Template
Embracing the new culture
Understanding a new organization’s culture is like decoding a foreign language. Ask, listen, and share. It’s about immersing yourself in a new world with curiosity and openness.
Aligning with your manager
I remember a mentee who was a product designer at a startup and struggled initially. She didn’t align her expectations with her manager’s. After two months of hard work, she realized she had focused on less critical tasks, which then impacted her performance review. It’s crucial not only to share a plan but also to align with your manager and continually update priorities regularly.
Month-by-month breakdown
Month 1 (Learning): Your goal is to absorb your new environment like a sponge. Get to know the who, what, and how.
Month 2 (Sense-Making): Start identifying where you can weave your magic. For me, it was revamping our research synthesis process, a small change that sparked a big difference.
Month 3 (Momentum): Now, you’re ready to fly. Implement your ideas and begin to leave your mark.
Charging the trust battery
Building trust is crucial throughout this journey. Adopt the ‘Model. Coach. Care’ approach. Show vulnerability and fulfill commitments to build trust—an essential ingredient for long-term success.
Early in my career, when I joined a new org, I spent a lot of heads-down time. While this helped me find many opportunity areas and flex my craft skills, I inevitably dropped the ball with making connections with team members, especially cross-functional peers. Since this learning, I’ve made it a point to set up coffee chats with broader teams to connect and understand how they work with product and design teams and where I could potentially add value.
The power of work journaling
Daily journaling has been my north star. It’s not just about reflection; it’s a tool for growth, helping you navigate through career transitions with grace and intention.
Being intentional with your first 90 days is pivotal. It’s not just about onboarding quicker; it’s about being practical and making a meaningful impact from the start. The 90-day plan is more than a strategy; it’s a mindset that prepares you to embrace challenges and seize opportunities in your new role.
Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and these 90 days could be the most significant steps you’ll take in shaping your career path.