30-60-90 day plan

How To Create A 30-60-90 Day Plan for Managers

While it sounds like it needs some decoding, a 30-60-90 day plan is a simple tool for managers to use when they’re getting on board with a new team, taking on a new project, or trying to get in a groove when new leadership comes into the picture. The plan is essentially broken down into three stages: from the beginning to the 30-day mark, from the 30-day mark to the 60-day mark, and from the 60-day mark to the 90-day mark.

All in all, this plan is a kind of checklist or playbook that outlines how each segment of your time is going to look. Each month (or 30 days) within the plan has a different purpose, goals, and priorities. Primarily, 30-60-90 day plans are used for onboarding. But they’re a versatile option for managers who need to set any type of priorities for an undertaking so big that it shifts team culture.

How to make a 30-60-90-day plan

Making a 30-60-90 day plan is obviously not easy – there are many moving parts and many decisions to be made. But keep reading, and you’ll get a step-by-step guide for how your 30-60-90 plan could look.

Days 0 through 30

Keywords: discovery, culture, rhythm

In the first 30 days of your plan, you’re not trying to break any barriers or plunge head-first into difficult work. You’ll be working on connecting with coworkers and establishing a rhythm here. For those using a 30-60-90 plan to onboard themselves onto a team, this time should be used for building rapport and establishing a team culture. Ask your coworkers about who they are both inside and outside of work, and try to study up on your company’s values, strategies, and goals. And for those who are using their 30-60-90 day plan for a project or to understand new leadership, your first thirty days should be able to gather intel, establish a workflow with your team, and amalgamate data to fuel your venture.

30-day strategies

Be a sponge. Soak up everything you can – attend voluntary meetings, study documents, 

Make connections. Schedule one-on-ones with management and team members, meet with strategic partners and embrace skip-level meetings. Find a mentor on a higher level of management and create consistent check-ins.

Create a frame. Learn about expectations for team members and what your manager expects of you. 

Days 30 through 60

Keywords: amalgamating, analyzing, actionizing

Now that your first 30 days are over and you’ve collected the requisite amount of data about your project, team, or new leadership, you’re ready to analyze that data. Think about what you saw, how you could improve it, what were the gaps in knowledge, and how processes could be simplified. Begin to make plans for improvement and test out hypotheses. This is the time when you try to get creative and put your own spin on how things function within your team. Your roadmap should also measure team impact, and gathering data about strategies shouldn’t stop just because the first 30 days are over. 

60-day strategies

Production goals. Create weekly, monthly, or quarterly production goals that reflect your team’s workflow and satisfy management requirements.

Communicate consistently. Hold all team members accountable for their work. Get everyone on board with upgrading outdated tools and documenting best practices for future employees or internal reviews.

Build a strategy. Based on the data you collected in the first 30 days, create an improvement strategy and a roadmap to get there. Clear your ideas with senior management.

Days 60 through 90

Keywords: momentum, consistency, finish line

In the last 30 days, your team will function like a well-oiled machine – but don’t lose focus or rest on your laurels. Now that you’re an expert in team dynamics and you have a team-wide definition of success, you can find more specific areas to grow within. Culture and process should run independently, but check-ins and exemplary communication are always necessary. If you have a project-oriented 30-60-90 day plan, you can celebrate knowing that the end is in sight and you’ll soon be ready for a cool-down period. 

90-day strategies

Look to expansion. If the business is expanding, you might want or need to add more team or department members. If your team can make a hiring plan, do so. Identify budget recommendations and price out if a new hire is feasible or if shifting responsibilities would be a better move.

Engage with the broader strategy. You’re just one piece of the company’s puzzle, but you don’t have to feel like a small fry. Celebrate your successes with other sectors and collaborate with other key contributors from other departments. 

Always move forward. Continue to follow up on the best facets of your 30-60-90 day plan and rethink the less effective parts. Continue to perpetually emphasize team culture.

Use Hive to achieve your goals!

How is your team’s productivity or work performance managed? Start out with a program like Hive Goals that can measure, investigate, and track your team’s progress – it’ll be useful throughout the entirety of your plan.

Try it for free today!