Key Takeaways
1. Prepare Yourself: Make a Mental Break and Assess Your Vulnerabilities
"You have been offered your new position because those who selected you think you have the skills to succeed. But as you saw in the cases of Julia Gould and David Jones, it can be fatal to rely too much on what made you successful in the past."
Mental break. To transition effectively, you must consciously let go of your old job and embrace the new one. This involves a psychological shift, recognizing that what made you successful in your previous role may not apply in your new position.
Assess vulnerabilities. Conduct a rigorous self-assessment to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Use tools like the problem preferences assessment to pinpoint potential blind spots. Consider:
- Technical competencies
- Leadership skills
- Cultural adaptability
- Political savvy
Compensate for weaknesses. Once identified, develop strategies to address your vulnerabilities:
- Seek out complementary team members
- Invest in personal development
- Leverage your strengths strategically
- Build a support network of advisors
2. Accelerate Your Learning: Plan to Learn and Adopt Structured Methods
"The faster you climb the learning curve, the earlier you can begin to make good business decisions."
Learning agenda. Develop a focused set of questions about the past, present, and future of your new organization. Prioritize understanding:
- Performance history
- Current challenges and opportunities
- Strategic vision and goals
- Cultural norms and political landscape
Structured learning methods. Adopt systematic approaches to accelerate your learning:
- Conduct stakeholder interviews using consistent questions
- Analyze key processes and metrics
- Participate in operational reviews and customer meetings
- Use frameworks like SWOT analysis to organize information
Efficient learning. Maximize your return on time invested in learning:
- Identify the best sources of insight (e.g., front-line employees, key customers)
- Use a mix of formal (reports, presentations) and informal (casual conversations) learning channels
- Regularly synthesize and reflect on what you've learned to identify patterns and priorities
3. Match Strategy to Situation: Use the STARS Model to Diagnose Your Portfolio
"The STARS model outlines the characteristics and challenges of, respectively, launching a venture; getting one back on track; dealing with rapid expansion; reenergizing a once-leading business that's now facing serious problems; and inheriting an organization that is performing well and then taking it to the next level."
STARS model. Diagnose your situation using the STARS framework:
- Start-up: Building something from scratch
- Turnaround: Saving a failing business
- Accelerated Growth: Rapid expansion of a successful venture
- Realignment: Reenergizing a drifting organization
- Sustaining Success: Maintaining and improving a high-performing business
Portfolio analysis. Most leaders face a mix of STARS situations. Assess your portfolio by:
- Identifying which elements of your responsibilities fall into each category
- Estimating the percentage of effort required for each in the next 90 days
- Aligning your leadership approach to each situation's unique demands
Tailored strategies. Adapt your leadership style and priorities based on your STARS diagnosis:
- Start-ups require vision and team-building
- Turnarounds demand quick, decisive action
- Accelerated Growth needs systems and processes to scale
- Realignments call for creating urgency and buy-in for change
- Sustaining Success involves finding new challenges and avoiding complacency
4. Negotiate Success: Have Five Key Conversations with Your New Boss
"To succeed as Michael did with a new boss, it's wise to negotiate success. It's well worth investing time in this critical relationship up front, because your new boss sets your benchmarks, interprets your actions for other key players, and controls access to resources you need."
Five crucial conversations. Proactively engage your new boss in discussions about:
- Situation: Align on your STARS diagnosis
- Expectations: Clarify goals and performance metrics
- Style: Establish preferred communication and decision-making approaches
- Resources: Negotiate for what you need to succeed
- Personal development: Discuss your growth areas and opportunities
Conversation planning. For each discussion:
- Prepare key points and questions in advance
- Listen actively and seek to understand your boss's perspective
- Clarify and confirm agreements
- Follow up in writing to cement understanding
Ongoing alignment. Maintain regular check-ins to:
- Update on progress and challenges
- Realign expectations as needed
- Secure continued support and resources
- Address emerging issues proactively
5. Secure Early Wins: Build Momentum and Credibility in the First 90 Days
"Early wins excite and energize people and build your personal credibility. Done well, they help you create value for your new organization earlier and reach the break-even point much more quickly."
Define early wins. Identify opportunities that:
- Align with long-term business goals
- Address important stakeholder concerns
- Demonstrate your leadership capabilities
- Can be achieved within 90 days
Build personal credibility. In the first few weeks:
- Demonstrate your values and work ethic
- Show respect for the existing culture while introducing positive changes
- Build relationships across the organization
- Avoid criticizing past leadership or making hasty judgments
Launch early-win projects. For each initiative:
- Set clear, measurable objectives
- Assemble a strong team
- Secure necessary resources
- Communicate progress regularly
- Celebrate successes visibly
Avoid common pitfalls:
- Taking on too many initiatives
- Choosing projects disconnected from long-term goals
- Failing to build support among key stakeholders
- Neglecting to give credit to team members
6. Achieve Alignment: Diagnose and Fix Misalignments in Your Organization
"No matter how charismatic you are as a leader, you cannot hope to do much if your organization is fundamentally out of alignment. You will feel as if you're pushing a boulder uphill every day."
Organizational architecture. Assess alignment among four key elements:
- Strategic direction: Mission, vision, and strategy
- Structure: How people are organized and work is coordinated
- Core processes: Systems for adding value
- Skill bases: Capabilities of key groups
Diagnose misalignments. Look for disconnects between:
- Strategy and structure
- Structure and processes
- Processes and skills
- Skills and strategy
Realignment process:
- Start with strategic direction: Clarify or redefine as needed
- Adjust structure to support strategy
- Redesign core processes for efficiency and effectiveness
- Develop or acquire necessary skills
Change management. When implementing changes:
- Communicate the rationale clearly
- Involve key stakeholders in the process
- Pace changes according to the organization's capacity to absorb them
- Monitor progress and adjust as needed
7. Build Your Team: Assess, Evolve, and Align Your Inherited Team
"The most important decisions you make in your first 90 days will probably be about people. If you succeed in creating a high-performance team, you can exert tremendous leverage in value creation."
Team assessment. Evaluate inherited team members based on:
- Competence: Technical skills and experience
- Judgment: Decision-making ability, especially under pressure
- Energy: Level of engagement and drive
- Focus: Ability to prioritize effectively
- Relationships: Teamwork and collaboration skills
- Trust: Reliability and integrity
Personnel decisions. Categorize team members:
- Keep in place
- Keep and develop
- Move to another position
- Replace (low or high priority)
- Observe for more time
Team evolution. Carefully manage the transition:
- Make high-priority changes quickly but thoughtfully
- Preserve institutional knowledge where possible
- Communicate changes clearly to the organization
- Support departing team members with dignity
Alignment and motivation. Use a mix of "push" and "pull" tools:
- Push: Clear goals, performance metrics, and incentives
- Pull: Compelling vision and inspiring leadership
8. Create Alliances: Map Influence Networks and Craft Influence Strategies
"To succeed in your new role, you will need the support of people over whom you have no direct authority."
Influence objectives. Identify key stakeholders whose support you need to achieve your goals.
Map influence networks. Understand the informal power structures:
- Who influences whom on critical issues?
- What are the sources of individuals' power (e.g., expertise, relationships)?
- How do decisions really get made?
Analyze key players. For each pivotal person:
- Assess their motivations and interests
- Identify potential areas of alignment or conflict with your agenda
- Understand their perceptions of the situation and alternatives
Craft influence strategies. Use a mix of approaches:
- Consultation: Engage stakeholders in problem-solving
- Framing: Present your ideas in ways that resonate with their interests
- Social proof: Leverage the support of respected peers
- Reciprocity: Find opportunities for mutual benefit
- Incrementalism: Build support step-by-step
Build coalitions. Actively cultivate relationships and alliances:
- Start with natural supporters
- Neutralize potential opponents
- Win over the undecided through targeted engagement
9. Manage Yourself: Build Personal Disciplines and Support Systems
"The life of a leader is always a balancing act, but never more so than during a transition."
Self-awareness. Regularly assess your emotional state and performance:
- Monitor stress levels and work-life balance
- Seek feedback from trusted advisors
- Reflect on successes and challenges
Personal disciplines. Develop routines to maintain focus and effectiveness:
- Plan-work-evaluate cycles (daily and weekly)
- Prioritize important over urgent tasks
- Practice mindfulness or "going to the balcony" in stressful situations
- Establish clear boundaries and learn to say no
Support systems. Build a network of resources:
-
Stabilize your home life:
- Communicate openly with family about the transition
- Accelerate their adjustment to new circumstances
- Maintain familiar rituals and routines
-
Create an advice-and-counsel network:
- Technical advisors: Subject matter experts
- Cultural interpreters: Insiders who understand organizational norms
- Political counselors: Guides to navigating informal power structures
- Personal advisors: Trusted confidants for emotional support
-
Manage your physical and mental health:
- Maintain exercise and healthy eating habits
- Prioritize sleep and relaxation
- Engage in activities that recharge you
10. Accelerate Everyone: Implement Transition Acceleration Systems Organization-Wide
"Every successful career is a series of successful assignments, and every successful assignment is launched with a successful transition."
Organizational impact. Recognize the cumulative effect of transitions:
- 25% of managers in a typical company change jobs each year
- Each transition affects roughly a dozen other people
Systematic approach. Develop a comprehensive transition acceleration program:
- Onboarding for external hires
- "Inboarding" for internal moves
- Promotion support at all levels
- Transition support for teams and departments
Key elements. Include in your transition acceleration system:
- Consistent frameworks (e.g., STARS model, 90-day planning)
- Structured learning processes
- Mentoring and coaching support
- Regular check-ins and progress reviews
Cultural integration. Embed transition acceleration into organizational DNA:
- Train all managers in supporting transitions
- Include transition effectiveness in performance evaluations
- Celebrate successful transitions
- Share best practices and lessons learned
Continuous improvement. Regularly assess and refine your transition acceleration system:
- Track time-to-productivity metrics
- Gather feedback from participants
- Stay current with best practices in transition management
- Adapt the system to evolving organizational needs
Last updated:
FAQ
What's "The First 90 Days" about?
- Transition Strategies: "The First 90 Days" by Michael D. Watkins is a guide for leaders transitioning into new roles, offering strategies to accelerate their effectiveness.
- Critical Period: The book emphasizes the importance of the first 90 days in a new position, which can determine long-term success or failure.
- Framework and Tools: It provides a structured framework and practical tools to help leaders diagnose their situations, set priorities, and build momentum.
- Universal Application: The strategies are applicable to leaders at all levels, from first-time managers to CEOs, across various industries.
Why should I read "The First 90 Days"?
- Proven Strategies: The book offers proven strategies that have helped thousands of leaders transition successfully into new roles.
- Avoid Common Pitfalls: It helps readers avoid common transition traps, such as sticking with what they know or failing to build alliances.
- Accelerate Success: By following the book's guidance, leaders can reduce the time it takes to reach the break-even point by up to 40%.
- Comprehensive Approach: It covers a wide range of topics, including learning, negotiation, team building, and self-management.
What are the key takeaways of "The First 90 Days"?
- Prepare Yourself: Make a mental break from your old job and embrace the new role's challenges.
- Accelerate Learning: Quickly understand the new organization's culture, politics, and technical aspects.
- Secure Early Wins: Focus on achieving early successes to build credibility and momentum.
- Build Alliances: Identify and cultivate relationships with key stakeholders to support your initiatives.
How does the STARS model work in "The First 90 Days"?
- Five Situations: The STARS model categorizes business situations into Start-up, Turnaround, Accelerated Growth, Realignment, and Sustaining Success.
- Tailored Strategies: Each situation requires different strategies and leadership styles to be effective.
- Portfolio Management: Leaders often manage a mix of STARS situations and must tailor their approach to each.
- Psychological Transformation: The model helps leaders understand the prevailing organizational psychology and how to transform it.
What is the importance of early wins according to "The First 90 Days"?
- Build Credibility: Early wins help establish your credibility and demonstrate your ability to make a positive impact.
- Create Momentum: They generate momentum and excitement, encouraging others to support your initiatives.
- Align with Goals: Early wins should align with long-term business goals and help introduce desired behavioral changes.
- Avoid Low-Hanging Fruit Trap: Focus on wins that contribute to achieving strategic objectives, not just easy fixes.
How does "The First 90 Days" suggest building a productive relationship with your boss?
- Five Conversations: Engage in five key conversations about the situation, expectations, style, resources, and personal development.
- Clarify Expectations: Regularly clarify and align expectations to ensure mutual understanding and support.
- Negotiate Resources: Proactively negotiate for the resources needed to succeed in your role.
- Adapt to Style: Adapt to your boss's communication and decision-making style to build a strong working relationship.
What are the common traps to avoid during transitions as per "The First 90 Days"?
- Sticking with What You Know: Avoid relying solely on past successes and be open to new approaches.
- Action Imperative: Resist the urge to act too quickly without sufficient understanding of the new environment.
- Unrealistic Expectations: Set achievable goals and manage expectations with your boss and stakeholders.
- Neglecting Relationships: Focus on building horizontal relationships with peers and key stakeholders, not just vertical ones.
How does "The First 90 Days" address self-management during transitions?
- Structured Reflection: Regularly assess your feelings, challenges, and successes to maintain perspective.
- Personal Disciplines: Develop routines to manage stress, focus on priorities, and maintain work-life balance.
- Support Systems: Build a network of advisers and stabilize your home environment to support your transition.
- Avoid Dysfunctional Behaviors: Be aware of potential pitfalls like isolation, work avoidance, and undefended boundaries.
What role does team building play in "The First 90 Days"?
- Assess and Align: Evaluate your inherited team and align it with your strategic goals and early-win priorities.
- Balance Stability and Change: Find the right balance between maintaining stability and making necessary personnel changes.
- Push and Pull Tools: Use a mix of goals, incentives, and vision to motivate and align your team.
- Decision-Making Processes: Establish clear processes for meetings, decision making, and conflict resolution.
How does "The First 90 Days" suggest creating alliances?
- Identify Key Players: Determine who you need to influence to achieve your early wins and long-term goals.
- Map Influence Networks: Understand the informal networks and who influences whom within the organization.
- Build Support: Focus on gaining the support of pivotal people and neutralizing potential opposition.
- Use Influence Techniques: Employ strategies like consultation, framing, and incrementalism to build alliances.
What are the best quotes from "The First 90 Days" and what do they mean?
- "The president of the United States gets 100 days to prove himself; you get 90." This highlights the critical importance of the first 90 days in a new role.
- "Every successful career is a series of successful assignments, and every successful assignment is launched with a successful transition." It emphasizes the need for effective transitions to build a successful career.
- "Your goal in every transition is to get as rapidly as possible to the break-even point." This underscores the importance of quickly contributing more value than you consume.
- "Failure is never only about the flaws of the new leader." It reminds readers that transition failures often result from a mismatch between the leader and the situation.
How can "The First 90 Days" be applied to organizational change?
- Common Framework: Use the 90-day framework to accelerate organizational change, such as restructuring or post-acquisition integration.
- Team Acceleration: Apply the framework to accelerate team development and build relationships across the organization.
- Change Implementation: Focus on the soft side of change, which is often the hardest part, to achieve planned objectives.
- Competitive Advantage: Accelerating transitions can create a more nimble and responsive organization, providing a competitive edge.
Review Summary
The First 90 Days is highly regarded as a practical guide for leaders transitioning into new roles. Readers appreciate its structured approach, actionable advice, and useful checklists. Many found it applicable across various management levels and industries. The book emphasizes learning about the new environment, securing early wins, and aligning strategy. Some critics felt it was too focused on traditional corporate settings or lacked depth in certain areas. Overall, it's considered a valuable resource for managers seeking to make a strong impact in their first three months.
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