Michael Watkins

In this updated 10th anniversary edition, an internationally known leadership transition expert, drawing on real-world examples and groundbreaking research on leadership, emphasizes the importance of successful performance during the first 90 days in a new position. 100,000 first printing.

Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter

The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded

kyra

I'm reading this too early in my career, where I'm probably not in a position to make organisation wide changes. These steps seem too idealistic but I did get some new insights about having a structured onboarding to a new role that can be applied at all levels. I'll definitely revisit it.

Useful for an enterprise executive probably, but a total snore fest for me. Do not recommend.

Chad McElligott

matej yangwao

** spoiler alert **
           I'm bit sleep deprived, but usual good book on leadership strategy when you're transitioning into new role, assessing new members or inheriting, for both book offers playbook through key actions.

≥The impression people make of your leadership prowess matters a lot at this stage. If you can successfully build credibility and secure some wins as early as possible, people will trust your judgment, accept you as a leader, and support you in any way they can.

≥The point where new leaders start to create value in their company is known as the break-even point.

≥Some people like solving technical problems, such as issues that have to do with technologies, markets, and strategies. Some like solving cultural problems that involve norms and values, while others enjoy solving problems that involve power and politics in the organization.

≥As a leader, everyone on your team is vital to your success. You cannot actualize your ultimate vision for the organization by yourself; you need to surround yourself with the right people.

≥Whatever the situation is, it is important that you assess every member of your team before taking them on board based on the following six criteria:
• Competence. Are they competent enough to do the job effectively?
• Relationships. Do they have good relationships with other members?
• Trust. Can you trust this individual to follow through on their commitments?
• Judgment. Do they exercise good judgment?
• Energy. Do they bring the right energy to the team?
• Focus. How focused is this member of the team?

≥If you've inherited a team and any of its members fail to meet your threshold requirements, start working on replacing them as soon as possible.

≥During your early meetings, pay attention to the group dynamic. How do the members interact with one another? Can you sense any conflict or coalition? Knowing how well the team functions will better enable you to lead it effectively.

≥If you want to win big as a manager, you must create alliances during the first few months of your tenure. You can not achieve your dream for the organization by solely depending on authority.

Great book, especially for first time leads. The chapter I found particularly insightful was the one about leads who emerge from their former team and start leading their former peers. The strategies presented here were very helpful to me. Safe to say that this book has given me a lot of good ideas and has facilitated my transition into a lead role. 

Tabea Lüth

Maria

This book is a good reference manual to have on hand as you make job transitions, especially if you are earlier in career. I didn't learn anything I didn't know before or super ground breaking but the book organizes the ideas very well and serves as reminders. I agree with a lot of the points made by the book about setting yourself up for success during a transition. Wish I read this during my first year working as a new grad.

Volkan Yorulmaz

"The First 90 Days" was a book that I was planning to read for a long while but I especially postponed it till I become a "manager". Just after learning that I got that title, I directly downloaded the e-book and read it. It includes many tactics for the first 90 days during your onboarding. Here are my highlights from the book:

The president of the United States gets 100 days to prove himself; you get 90. The actions you take during your first few months in a new role will largely determine whether you succeed or fail.

Transitions into new roles are the most challenging times in the professional lives of leaders.

Success or failure during the first few months is a strong predictor of overall success or failure in the job.

For more:

https://myhighlightz.blogspot.com/202...

Jeremy Anderberg

Good primer for this very specific time period of starting a new job. Geared mostly towards those in leadership positions. I skimmed a number of sections, but it was definitely helpful, in terms of both mindset and practicalities.

Lance Willett

Keys: learn quickly and share progress visibly and often. To achieve quick wins and gain confidence, expedite everything while keeping your balance.

James Bedford

Reads very much like a text book or a set of documentation. 

Useful for referencing when on boarding at a new company I would imagine, but a very long winded read. 

Taylor Murphy

Michael D. Watkins

The world’s most trusted guide for leaders in transition Transitions are a critical time for leaders. In fact, most agree that moving into a new role is the biggest challenge a manager will face. While transitions offer a chance to start fresh and make needed changes in an organization, they also place leaders in a position of acute vulnerability. Missteps made during the crucial first three months in a new role can jeopardize or even derail your success. In this updated and expanded version of the international bestseller The First 90 Days, Michael D. Watkins offers proven strategies for conquering the challenges of transitions—no matter where you are in your career. Watkins, a noted expert on leadership transitions and adviser to senior leaders in all types of organizations, also addresses today’s increasingly demanding professional landscape, where managers face not only more frequent transitions but also steeper expectations once they step into their new jobs. By walking you through every aspect of the transition scenario, Watkins identifies the most common pitfalls new leaders encounter and provides the tools and strategies you need to avoid them. You’ll learn how to secure critical early wins, an important first step in establishing yourself in your new role. Each chapter also includes checklists, practical tools, and self-assessments to help you assimilate key lessons and apply them to your own situation. Whether you’re starting a new job, being promoted from within, embarking on an overseas assignment, or being tapped as CEO, how you manage your transition will determine whether you succeed or fail. Use this book as your trusted guide.

The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter

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