Your first 100 days as the new chief human resource officer (CHRO) provide a window of opportunity to build a solid foundation for long-term success. It's a time to gain the confidence of the CEO, the executive team and those in the HR function, and to
secure an in-depth understanding of your new environment. It's a time to gain the confidence of the CEO, the executive team and those in the HR function, and to secure an in-depth understanding of your new environment.

This is a unique opportunity, one you will never have the chance to do over. How can you make the most of it? We suggest you spend these critical first 100 days at the strategic level, focused on the development of connected strategies for both the organization's workforce and the HR function itself. You should strive to:

1. Connect the goals of the HR function to the goals of the business By starting with the broad business challenges and strategy, you'll convey to senior executives that you understand the need to link workforce investments to business results. It will take some time before you can measure the impact of your HR leadership, but you can set the standard in the first 100 days as you identify new goals and measure for HR.

2. Identify the greatest sources of pain for immediate attention and prioritize longer-term  issues. While you won't be able to address all of the organization's workforce or HR issues in the first 100 days, you can identify the most critical ones, assess the
available resources and develop a plan of action. You can also take advantage of smaller issues where quick action will result in immediate benefits.

3. Create a plan that will guide your function and your business partners. After you identify your goals, you can create a vision of success and a road map to get there. Your action plan will clearly articulate the activities, timing and required resources. Your plan  should engage stakeholders throughout the organization to ensure a solid connection between business and workforce strategies.

4. Build the case for change within the function and throughout the organization. The scope and magnitude of change will be different in each organization, but there's no question that people will expect action - and business challenges will demand it. Your  new role will provide momentum for change, and the CEO's agenda may add additional urgency. Your demonstrated ability to make a persuasive case for change in the first 100  days will highlight your value to the executive team.

5. Create a powerful personal brand as a business leader and change agent. What you do  - and what you choose not to do - will communicate the value and character of your personal brand. Partly it's a matter of substance: what you have to say. But it's also a  matter of style: how well you say it. While you will undoubtedly be influenced by aspects of your new organization and its culture, it's important to express your personal  views on what HR must do - and how it must be done - to help the organization succeed. Expect some healthy debate as you posit views that others in your organization  may not immediately agree with - including other business leaders and even your own HR team. This can be very constructive as you discuss the business, its future  course and the implications for the workforce and the HR function.

A three-step process
Admittedly, each HR leadership job is different - greatly affected by market conditions,  business strategies and the current state of the function. But regardless of the specific job  situation, you will need to gather and synthesize facts and opinions about the
organization's unique business and workforce challenges, and translate this information into a comprehensive set of actions. You can use the following three-step process  to make a strong start and exceed the expectations of those around you:

Step 1: Understand the business and workforce issues. Identify the current and changing dynamics of key markets and customers, and their impact on the organization's business strategy, brand and workforce priorities.

Step 2: Develop workforce and HR function strategies. Identify the important segments  and characteristics of the organization's workforce that will drive strategic competitive advantage. Determine the operational consequences of both the business and workforce  requirements on the design of the HR function. Then spend some time developing a  concrete plan including priorities, important decision points and milestones, accountability and critical resources.

Step 3: Promote andf lead change. Identify what needs to change, potential barriers and  the activities required to support and sustain effective implementation including  productive new workforce behaviors supported by world-class HR. As the HR leader,
your responsibilities are two-fold: 1) work with other business leaders to create a  workforce strategy that supports the business' goals and objectives and drives  performance; and 2) ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the HR function.

This integrated view of the organization's approach to managing the workforce will improve the ability of the leadership team to make decisions that reinforce the  alignment of the organization's assets. The workforce strategy is the foundation for the HR function strategy, and your discussions about what is required of the workforce to deliver on the business strategy will surface opportunities and challenges that HR can  support.

But knowing where to start in any new situation can be overwhelming. We sugges you begin with a comprehensive assessment of the organization - including the HR  function. The data and insights from this diagnostic should lead you to the development
of strategic and measurable action plans. The development of workforce and HR  strategies that flow from your assessment should be an iterative process among members  the executive team and key players in line and functional management. Done correctly,  this process can be energizing and empowering signaling your ability to be a trusted adviser and business partner as you build the new HR function around the talent,  flexibility, performance and growth requirements of the business. To this end, be sure to  take full advantage of the different perspectives your stakeholders offer on the  organization, its business and the HR function.

Turn to the CEO and the executive team to understand the view from the top - where  is the business headed and what are the challenges in getting there? What do they expect from HR? You may be surprised at what you hear. Structured one-on-one interviews with the senior executive team - including leaders of business lines and key functional  areas - will provide a high-level look at the organization's implicit strategy for managing its workforce. This will help you build trust with a key constituency while you  learn about current and projected market conditions, competitors, strategic shifts, culture,  brand aspirations and personal views from key executives regarding the organization's  biggest challenges to inform the explicit action planning.

The turn to the employees and the enterprise at large. In gathering input for this important  constituency, you will want to consider not only what employees say, but what they do as  well. Review recent all-employee surveys to see what they reveal about
employee attitudes and opinions regarding the overall organization, its culture and the  HR function, its programs and policies. If you want additional insights, conduct your own  employee/manager survey or focus groups to capture what employees think about  specific workforce issues and performance of the HR function. For a continuous flow of  feedback, build a customer satisfaction survey into real-time service delivery. For  example, you can ask employees if they found the information they were seeking after they have called your service center or searched your HR portal.

Also scrutinize data in the HR information system (HRIS). It contains valuable  information about workforce movement - who leaves, who stays and who succeeds  (determined by pay increases and promotions) along with demographic information such
as gender, tenure, education, career paths and pay levels.

While your first 100 days may be a bit of a roller-coaster ride, stay focused and above  all, remember that today's most successful HR executives are business partners first &  and administrators never. You are the steward of the organization's critical talent. Your  job is to ensure that business leaders at both the executive and line levels have the tools and resources to attract, motivate and retain a winning workforce, and that the  workforce is engaged and empowered to deliver the desired business results.

Bob Schuetz is a worldwide partner in Mercer's Human Capital business and the global segment leader for HR Effectiveness. Bob's consulting work focuses on operationalizing large-scale change through human capital systems. His clients include large national and international organizations in the automotive, energy, health care, railroad, professional services, and steel industries. A frequent speaker at global and national conferences on the changing role of the HR function globally, Bob has published articles on the corporate-culture aspects of implementing mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. He can be reached at bob.schuetz@mercer.com.