Free Resources Template

First 90 Days Plan for a New Technology Leader

The plan we build with new CIOs, CISOs, CTOs, and IT leaders in the first weeks of a mentoring engagement. Adapt it to your role and use it to agree expectations with your manager.

Tick items as you go. Use your browser's print option to save it as a PDF.

Questions worth asking everyone you meet

What should I be careful not to change?
What is the one thing that slows you down most?
Where has technology surprised us before?
What would make my first year a success from where you sit?
Who else should I talk to?

Days 1 to 30Listen and Learn

Earn trust and get the facts before you change anything big.

Agree with your manager what success looks like at day 90 and at one year
Meet each direct report one on one: what works, what does not, and what they would change
Meet every business leader who depends on technology and ask what they need from you
Get the facts: budget and actual spend, major contracts and renewal dates, open audit findings, active projects
Read the last year of board and audit committee materials on technology and risk
Learn how incidents are handled today, and who you would call at 2 a.m.
Write down the quick wins you see, and hold off on big changes

Days 31 to 60Decide and Plan

Turn what you learned into priorities, decisions, and a few visible wins.

Name your top five risks and top five opportunities, with an owner for each
Decide which projects to continue, fix, or stop
Set team priorities and make the people decisions you can no longer defer
Deliver two or three quick wins people will notice
Draft a 12-month roadmap and the budget it needs
Agree a regular reporting rhythm with your manager and peers

Days 61 to 90Deliver and Report

Show leadership what you found, what you are doing about it, and how they will see progress.

Present your assessment and roadmap to your manager and peers, and adjust it
Brief the board or its committee in plain business terms, if the role calls for it
Launch the first roadmap initiatives with clear owners and dates
Put a simple scorecard in place for spend, delivery, and risk
Review your own first 90 days: what worked and what you would do differently

What to show leadership at day 90

What you found, in plain business terms
What you are changing, and why
The top risks and who owns each one
The 12-month roadmap and what it costs
How and how often you will report progress

Want Someone in Your Corner for the First Year?

We mentor new technology leaders through exactly this plan, with sessions every two weeks on what is in front of you.

How Mentoring Works More Free Resources