Onboarding Plan
90-Day Plan for a New Chief Administrative Officer
The first 90 days set the tone for administrative leadership. This plan helps CAOs build trust, map the operating model, and deliver early wins without disrupting core services.
Days 1-30
Discovery and alignment
Focus on understanding the administrative landscape and building trust with key stakeholders.
Stakeholder mapping
- Meet executive peers and department heads.
- Identify service pain points and priorities.
- Clarify expectations for the CAO role.
Operational assessment
- Inventory all administrative services.
- Review SLAs, backlogs, and service metrics.
- Assess risk, compliance, and audit status.
Days 31-60
Operating model clarity and quick wins
Align on decision rights, service ownership, and early improvements that build credibility.
Operating model alignment
- Publish a service catalog and ownership map.
- Define decision rights for service changes.
- Establish governance forums and cadence.
Quick wins
- Resolve visible service backlog issues.
- Standardize intake and escalation paths.
- Launch a clear service request portal.
Days 61-90
Execution cadence and long-term plan
Lock in sustainable rhythms, metrics, and a roadmap for the next 12 to 18 months.
Execution cadence
- Launch weekly service delivery reviews.
- Establish monthly portfolio performance reviews.
- Align quarterly with CEO and CFO on priorities.
Roadmap planning
- Define multi-year operating model priorities.
- Build a resource and budget plan.
- Communicate roadmap and success metrics.
Checklist
90-day CAO checklist
Use this checklist to track progress and confirm readiness for the next phase.
Completion indicators
Confirm each area with your leadership team.
- Stakeholders aligned on CAO mandate
- Service catalog and ownership established
- Governance cadence in place
- Quick wins delivered and communicated
- 12 to 18 month roadmap approved
Download the operating cadence checklist
Use the checklist to formalize your governance rhythm.
Get the checklist