That’s your first day as a CEO? Ok, it doesn’t matter if you are new in the Company, or not. There are 3 things that you have to do as a must! Check the balance sheet? Talk to the managers? Visit customers? Visit suppliers? Make a speech to the entire company? Have a meeting with the staff?
No! Definitely, none of them!
The 3 things you have to do as a must are:
1) Tour through the company
2) Check the cash flow
3) Check the sales & market share charts (past and future)
Obviously all the things I mentioned in the paragraph are important, but I do not consider as a must! It can be done afterwards.
Tour through the company
This is a must because you are giving the message: “I consider the people as the most important thing, and I want to know everybody in their jobs!
It doesn’t matter if people don’t know you yet, present yourself to the people you talk to.
Don’t do the tour as a royal committee, with too much people around you, do it accompanied by just one person already known by the people: maybe the Plant manager, HR manager, the VP, etc.
Take the opportunity to feel the people and the environment. Create a first good impression. Show them you are really concerned about the quality of the product and the process.
Check the Cash Flow
Sitting with the Finance Director/Manager, check the cash flow, in a daily basis and a monthly basis. This will give you a good overview about the health of the Company.
Check the Sales & Market Share Chart
Right after the tour, sit down with the Commercial Director/Manager and take a look at the sales/revenue chart, with the four past years, the current year, and the next one. Do the same with the market share data. This will give you a very good overview about the strength (or weakness) of the Company.
Giving the Right Message
As a new CEO, obviously, you will have a lot of things to do in your first day, but I believe that these 3 things will give you a good overview about the Company and a right message to the people, showing them that you consider very important the people, the strength and the health of the Company.
