On today’s Dear Heretics segment, Kelli and Nolan deliver candid, practical advice for Chief People Officers navigating their critical first 90 days, featuring real-world insights on building stakeholder trust, executing quick wins, and establishing strategic organizational influence.
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KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDIN
Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/
Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/
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LINKS:
For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(01:13) Three Core Goals for New CPOs
(01:41) Common Fail States to Avoid
(02:03) Over-Communicating with Your CEO
(02:23) Building Executive Relationships Beyond One-on-Ones
(02:58) Getting to the Ground Floor: The Modern Executive Approach
(03:19) The Colleen McCreary Method: 100 One-on-Ones in 90 Days
(04:26) Quick Wins and Board Relationship Strategy
(04:44) Four-Pillar Framework in Action
(05:34) Pre-Start Transparency: Setting Expectations Early
(06:40) The Four Pillars: Listen, Execute, Strategize, Build
(08:18) The Brutal Reality: 3X Speed for Three Months
(09:15) Sprint vs Marathon: Managing Energy and Family Expectations
(09:58) Reframing “S**t Shows” as Solvable Problems
(11:22) The Critical Importance of In-Person Time
(12:13) Sponsors: Ethena | Planful
(15:22) Building on Company Strengths vs Starting from Scratch
(16:31) Team Building Strategy: Know Before You Walk In
(17:47) Making “Unnatural” Efforts for Face-Time
(18:33) Build Your Scaffolding or Die: The Team Priority
(20:14) Ditch HR Speak: Talking Business, Not Corporate Vernacular
(21:47) CEO Shadowing: What It Really Means
(23:00) Real Partnership: Daily Communication and Quick Feedback Loops
(23:59) Sponsor: Metaview
(25:18) The Bait-and-Switch Problem in Executive Hiring
(27:10) Market Reality: Nine-Month Average Tenure Crisis
(29:21) Board Relationships and Air Cover Strategy
(30:10) Building Your Narrative: Board Meeting Preparation
(31:41) Documentation Strategy: Journaling and Whiteboarding
(32:09) Wrap
