A week-by-week operating plan for the new VP of AI, CAIO, or CTO who just inherited a transformation mandate. Stakeholder map, named failure modes, the quick-win shortlist, and the board brief that earns a second 90 days.
Calendar presence, response latency, and meeting drift carry more signal about who actually decides than the reporting hierarchy. Build a monthly influence map that compares observed decision flow against the org chart — and flag the gap.