When newly elected U.S. Presidents move into the White House, they often put forth a 100-​day plan for what they hope to accomplish as they start their leadership tenure. If you’ve just taken on a new leadership role, you might be wondering which tasks you should take on first. Paul Larue, writing for leadchangegroup​.com, advises new leaders to create a 30–60-90 day game plan.

If you’ve taken the helm at a company that needs a fast turnaround, you might be tempted to delve quickly into the product or service and try to fix what’s wrong. That would be a mistake according to Larue. You won’t be able to fix much personally unless the company you’re working for is extremely small. Instead, you’ll be relying on key employees to carry out any plan you come up with.

Your first task should be to take an inventory of the people who currently fill key positions in the firm. Spend your first 30 days getting to know these people. Take them out to lunch. Meet with them individually and find out what their strengths are. Maybe you have a rainmaker in the sales department. Or you might have a technology wizard who’s eager to build a new product. As you get to know the team members, find out what they love about the company. And, find out what they want to change. Asking these types of questions also will allow you to informally assess to the company’s culture.

Once you assess the strengths and weaknesses of your team members, you’re ready to assess the kinds of strategies you’ll need to improve your products or services, and profitability. Larue suggests you spend your next 30 days on that task.

To learn more about how to handle your new leadership role, read his recommendations for the 90-​day horizon here.