100 days in: What great leaders do next
100 days in: What great leaders do next
5 minutes
A 100-day (3-month) check-in is a structured conversation between you and your leader to review how your first few months in the role have gone. It focuses on three things:
- Revisiting initial expectations – what was agreed when you started.
- Reviewing achievements and learnings – what you’ve delivered, what you’ve learned, and where you may need support.
- Resetting direction – refining goals, clarifying priorities, and aligning on what success looks like for the next stage.
It’s a purposeful milestone that creates a shared moment for you and your leader to pause, reflect, align, and plan ahead. And in many organisations, you’ll need to take the lead in organising this conversation – so don’t wait for your leader to schedule it. Put it in the diary.
A 100-day check-in is one of the simplest ways to set yourself up for long-term success. It helps you:
- Confirm alignment: Ensures you and your leader are still on the same page and reduces risk of misalignment later.
- Recognise progress: Highlights early wins (for both you and your leader), boosts confidence, and validates the impact you’re already making.
- Strengthen self-awareness: Helps you identify strengths, gaps, and areas for development.
- Clarify what’s next: Sets clear, measurable goals that keep you focused and motivated.
- Normalise feedback: Creates a psychologically safe moment to receive constructive feedback early and allow you to shift or course correct if needed.
Doing this well helps you keep your momentum and know exactly what to focus on next.
Here’s the evidence that this milestone matters:
- Gallup’s workplace research shows that employees who have clear expectations from the start are more engaged, more productive, and less likely to experience early performance issues or turnover. Role clarity is named one of the strongest predictors of success in a new role.
- Harvard Business School research found that employees who engage in structured reflection improve their performance by 23% compared to those who do not. Reflection helps people consolidate learning and adapt more effectively – exactly what a 100-day check-in is designed to enable.
A structured 100-day check-in is one of the simplest, highest-impact tools for ensuring long-term success in your new role.
Use our guide to structure this conversation and make it meaningful, focused and productive.
