![\"25](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2x-Book-Summary-ClickUp-CTA-final.gif\")
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- \u201cThe First 90 Days\u201d Book Summary at a Glance<\/a><\/li>\n
- 5 Key Takeaways From \u201cThe First 90 Days\u201d by Michael Watkins<\/a>\n
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- 1. Match your strategy to different business situations using the STARS model<\/a><\/li>\n
- 2. Streamline onboarding and build relationships with \u201cthe 5 conversations\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n
- 3. Secure early wins by building credibility and launching projects<\/a><\/li>\n
- 4. Achieve alignment on strategy, skills, and processes<\/a><\/li>\n
- 5. Assess, build, and adapt your team<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Preparing for a New Role: A 7-Step Checklist<\/a>\n
- \n
- 1. Make a clean break<\/a><\/li>\n
- 2. Evaluate problems and your ability to address them<\/a><\/li>\n
- 3. Assess your strengths<\/a><\/li>\n
- 4. Develop a learning mindset<\/a><\/li>\n
- 5. Update your network<\/a><\/li>\n
- 6. Be mindful of discontent<\/a><\/li>\n
- 7. Ask for help when you need it<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Popular \u201cThe First 90 Days\u201d Quotes<\/a><\/li>\n
- Apply \u201cThe First 90 Days\u201d Learnings With ClickUp<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n\u23f0 60-Second Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Did you just get promoted or step into a new leadership role? Congratulations! The first 90 days are crucial for success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Michael D. Watkins\u2019 book, The First 90 Days, is the go-to guide for transitioning leaders<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- It breaks down strategies to help you adapt quickly, secure early wins, and build credibility. One key framework? The STARS model\u2014helping you match your leadership approach to different business situations<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Other key takeaways include:\n
- \n
- \u2714 Streamlining onboarding with five essential conversations<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u2714 Aligning strategy, skills, and processes for efficiency<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u2714 Assessing and adapting your team for long-term success<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Want a step-by-step transition plan? Watkins shares a 7-step checklist covering everything from making a clean break to building your network<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- With these strategies and tips from \u201cThe First 90 Days,\u201d you\u2019ll have what you need to transition smoothly to your new role<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Want to elevate your leadership skills? ClickUp<\/a> provides an all-in-one solution to onboard new employees, train them, set ambitious goals, and track progress for the first 90 days (and beyond!)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nTry ClickUp for Free!<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\u201c<\/strong>The First 90 Days<\/strong>\u201d <\/strong>Book Summary<\/strong> at a Glance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe First 90 Days\u201d is a book by Michael Watkins offering a road map and strategies for people making professional leadership transitions. In this quick \u201cThe First 90 Days\u201d summary, you\u2019ll learn what the book is about, who the author is, and how it can help in your leadership transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Michael Watkins is a renowned leadership and negotiation expert. He\u2019s a Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change at IMD Business School, is the co-founder of Genesis Advisers, and has two decades of experience working in leadership. He was also inducted into the Thinkers50 Leadership Hall of Fame<\/a> thanks to his background and numerous written works on leadership \u2014 including \u201cThe First 90 Days.\u201d \ud83c\udfc6<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In \u201cThe First 90 Days,\u201d readers learn about career transitions within an organization as well as to new businesses. The book covers how critical the initial 90 days are with new leadership employment. It covers strategies and tips to help with everything from employee onboarding<\/a> to advice on how to delegate<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Broken into 10 chapters, each one is centered on a strategy. The first 30 days focus on preparing, learning, and creating a plan. The next 30 days are about securing early wins and building a team. The final 30 days focus on management and accelerating success for the entire team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read on for a continuation of our \u201cThe First 90 Days\u201d summary, where you\u2019ll learn more about the key takeaways of this book and how you can create your own checklist for making a successful transition. \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5 Key Takeaways From \u201cThe First 90 Days\u201d by Michael Watkins<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Whether you\u2019re looking for project management tips<\/a> for a new management role or a plan to transition into a new C-Level position, Michael Watkins\u2019 book delivers. Here, we continue our \u201cThe First 90 Days\u201d summary with five key takeaways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Match your strategy to different <\/strong>business situations<\/strong> using the <\/strong>STARS model<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When transitioning to a new job, one of the first things you need to think about is what type of leader you are and how that works in different business cases. This involves understanding your impact as well as the different business situations your new organization faces. \ud83e\uddd0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To do this, Watkins suggests using the STARS model\u2014an acronym that stands for five common business situations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Start-up<\/strong>: <\/strong>You\u2019re building everything from the ground up, including products, teams, and structures, all within an exciting environment that needs to be closely managed<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Turnaround:<\/strong> You\u2019ve been tasked with taking a troubled business division or company and turning things around. Your leadership role involves not only company restructuring but also managing moods of despair and motivating teams to take a new approach<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Accelerated growth<\/strong>:<\/strong> Your leadership job is to hire new employees and build scalable systems to handle rapid business growth<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Realignment<\/strong>:<\/strong> You\u2019re hired to reassess the approach to a product or service when problems are present, but not everyone recognizes their significance. This type of leadership involves negotiation and encouraging team members to be open to change <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Sustaining success<\/strong>:<\/strong> Your new company is at the height of its success, and your job is to make sure it stays that way by figuring out what makes it successful and implementing innovative solutions to stay on the cutting edge of your industry<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
By matching your strategies and leadership style to the specific business situation, you\u2019re more likely to make a smooth transition. Plus, it\u2019s easier to keep everyone on the same page and working toward the same goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Streamline <\/strong>onboarding<\/strong> and build relationships with \u201cthe 5 conversations\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Joining or building a new team is about more than just implementing onboarding software<\/a>. You need to make connections and build relationships with everyone on your team. Without this critical step, it\u2019ll be hard to get support and buy-in, especially if your transition involves taking the company in a new direction. \ud83e\udd1d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Watkins recommends having what he calls \u201cthe five conversations.\u201d These encompass discussions you should have with your boss and your new team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Situational diagnosis: <\/strong>Revisit your STARS model with your boss and team. Does everyone agree the business is in the same situation? Discuss if anyone has a different opinion to lay the foundation of an effective leadership<\/a> approach<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Expectations:<\/strong> Lay out clear expectations on what defines success and what each individual on the team should deliver. Make sure everyone\u2019s priorities align, and build action plans based on those<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Resources:<\/strong> Discuss what resources you need. Depending on your business situation, these resources can include money, technical support, investments, or subject matter experts<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Style:<\/strong> Everyone communicates differently. Some people want constant updates and reassurance, while others prefer autonomy. Find out each team member\u2019s or your boss\u2019s style and tailor your communications to that. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Personal development<\/strong>:<\/strong> Get feedback on what you\u2019re doing well and what needs improvement. These conversations can be held with direct reports as well as upper management so you can make adjustments early on and improve productivity<\/a> and success<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
3. Secure <\/strong>early wins<\/strong> by building credibility and launching projects<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Early wins are a great way to build your credibility and reach the break-even point sooner\u2014the point at which the company\u2019s investment matches your contribution. By securing early wins, you build momentum and excitement for everyone on the team to reach even loftier goals. \ud83e\udd47<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Watkins suggests focusing on building credibility in the first 30 days and launching projects that are easy wins. To build credibility, talk to your team and figure out what they know about you. After all, you have a reputation, and you need to understand what that is to lead effectively. Once you know what they know, you can build on the existing credibility or establish it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To be an effective and credible leader, it\u2019s important to be accessible and set realistic expectations. Establish authority, but make sure you stay approachable. You also want to set clear demands and lofty goals but make sure they\u2019re attainable as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019ve established credibility, it\u2019s time to set goals for early wins. Keep in mind any long-term goals and break them down into smaller, attainable ones. Focus the team on specific goals to keep everyone working toward the early win and avoid distractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Achieve alignment on strategy, skills, and processes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
As a leader, you\u2019re responsible for guiding the team and making sure everyone is working toward the same goals. That means ensuring alignment not only in priorities but structures and team units. \u270d\ufe0f<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Watkins argues that four organizational structures need to be aligned for success:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Strategic direction:<\/strong> Everyone needs to know the vision and strategy of the goals and company, and your goal should be to clearly define the company\u2019s direction<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Structure:<\/strong> You need to align employees in groups, teams, and divisions to handle workloads that contribute to the company\u2019s goals<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Core processes:<\/strong> These are systems that add value to the company and can include SOPs for how to be more organized at work<\/a>, tools like project management software, and communication plans. Your job is to assess processes and align them within the structure for seamless workflows<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Skills bases:<\/strong> Your new organization will only be as successful as the people who work for it. As a leader, you\u2019ll need to align people with skills to the right tasks to get the job done faster and smarter<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Spend time thinking about potential misalignments, and put plans in place to avoid them. Focus especially on misalignments in terms of skill and direction, including individual team member capacity and capabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Assess, build, and adapt your team<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
As a leader, you know how important having a good team is. People will be at the center of the most important decisions you\u2019ll make in your first 90 days. Watkins suggests starting with assessments of existing teams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You don\u2019t want to make changes too quickly, especially without understanding the existing situation. Establish an evaluation system with specific criteria based on skills and decision-making styles. Evaluate teams and individuals using specific KPIs based on the actual work they do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the end of the first 30 days, you should be able to make employment decisions based on your assessments. Watkins recommends grouping people into the following categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Keep as is:<\/strong> If the team member is doing a good job, they\u2019ll remain in the same position with no changes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Keep, but focus on developing:<\/strong> The person does a decent job, but needs support, which you can provide<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Move to another position:<\/strong> The team member has skills that would make them more effective in a different position<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Replace:<\/strong> The person isn\u2019t a good fit, and you\u2019ll replace them with a new team member as soon as possible<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Observe: <\/strong>You don\u2019t have enough information to make a decision or want to see how the person does on a specific project, so you\u2019ll observe and then group them into one of the above categories<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Your team will evolve, so make sure to revisit this process after your first 90 days. Be open to change, and adapt the team as the company\u2019s goals and direction shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Preparing for a <\/strong>New Role<\/strong>: A 7-Step Checklist<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The hardest part of transitioning to a new leadership role is leaving old habits in the past. Even with a new team, new tasks, and a new company culture, it\u2019s easy to fall back into the same routine you used to have\u2014and one that doesn\u2019t fit your new role well. \u26a0\ufe0f<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To avoid this dilemma, Michael Watkins recommends starting each new role with a seven-step checklist. As we continue our \u201cThe First 90 Days\u201d summary, we break down this seven-step checklist so you can implement it fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Make a clean break<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s important to take time to celebrate the new transition. Whether that means spending time with friends over the weekend or grabbing a celebratory dinner with family, it\u2019s key to celebrate your success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s also important to spend time reflecting on what you\u2019re leaving behind and what lies ahead. Consider what things you wish worked better in your old role, and set expectations for what\u2019s to come in your new role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Evaluate problems and your ability to address them<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Make a list of likely problems\u2014including technical, cultural, and political issues\u2014across key business divisions. These can include finance, HR, tech, and marketing. Rank each potential problem on a scale of one to 10. Decide which problems you can\u2014and want\u2014to solve and which ones you\u2019ll need to garner support for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Assess your strengths<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Spend some time thinking about your strengths and what makes you an effective leader. Think about what you did well in your past role and situations where you think you may have fallen short. Consider how these skills will serve you in your new job and how they may hinder your success in certain business situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Develop a learning mindset<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Whether you were part of a leadership team<\/a> at a startup, nonprofit, or multinational company, you have a track record of success. With so many wins under your belt, it\u2019s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you know best. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When moving to a new position, it\u2019s important to create a learning mindset. Things that have worked in other roles may not be as successful in your new position. Think about personal development and leadership development as you move into your new role. Take classes, be open to learning from colleagues, and consider new approaches to old problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Update your network<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For new leaders and old leaders alike, having a solid network to turn to is invaluable. Take stock of your network, and see which individuals can help you make a smoother transition. Lean on old mentors, and look for gaps where you may need someone new to help you out. Make connections and build relationships with these individuals so you have the support you need to achieve accelerated growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Be mindful of discontent<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Whether you\u2019re moving to a new organization or getting promoted internally, some people may not be as happy about the change as you are. They may try to prevent you from being successful or limit your access to necessary resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether it\u2019s new team members, a new manager, or old colleagues, be mindful of these vulnerabilities. Focus on managing these working relationships, set clear expectations, and build a communication plan to address problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. Ask for help when you need it<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The first day of something new is always equal parts scary and exciting. Don\u2019t be afraid to ask for help\u2014whether it\u2019s from your new boss or a direct report on your team. Reach out for help and resources when you need them, especially during the first 90 days when you\u2019re getting settled in.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\ud83d\udca1\ud83d\udcda\u00a0Bonus:<\/strong>\u00a0If you\u2019re interested in reading more book summaries, check out our curated collection of\u00a025 Must-Read Productivity Book Summaries<\/a>\u00a0in one place. You can save, edit, bookmark, and even export it from ClickUp Docs.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![\"Productivity](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Book-Summary-CTA-v3.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nPopular \u201c<\/strong>The First 90 Days<\/strong>\u201d Quotes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Michael Watkins\u2019 book is full of wisdom for leadership professionals. Not only does he know his stuff, but he also says it in a way that\u2019s inspiring and engaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some of our favorite quotes from \u201cThe First 90 Days:\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- \u201cTo be successful, you need to mobilize the energy of many others in your organization. If you do the right things, then your vision, your expertise, and your drive can propel you forward and serve as seed crystals\u201d <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u201cJoining a new company is akin to an organ transplant\u2014and you\u2019re the new organ. If you\u2019re not thoughtful in adapting to the new situation, you could end up being attacked by the organizational immune system and rejected\u201d <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u201cThe most important decisions you make in your first 90 days will probably be about people\u201d <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u201cMission is about what will be achieved, vision is about why people should feel motivated to perform at a high level, and strategy is about how resources should be allocated and decisions made to accomplish the mission\u201d <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Want to learn how to prioritize tasks during your first 90 days? We’ve got just the video for you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Keep, but focus on developing:<\/strong> The person does a decent job, but needs support, which you can provide<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Structure:<\/strong> You need to align employees in groups, teams, and divisions to handle workloads that contribute to the company\u2019s goals<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Expectations:<\/strong> Lay out clear expectations on what defines success and what each individual on the team should deliver. Make sure everyone\u2019s priorities align, and build action plans based on those<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Turnaround:<\/strong> You\u2019ve been tasked with taking a troubled business division or company and turning things around. Your leadership role involves not only company restructuring but also managing moods of despair and motivating teams to take a new approach<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Start-up<\/strong>: <\/strong>You\u2019re building everything from the ground up, including products, teams, and structures, all within an exciting environment that needs to be closely managed<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 2. Evaluate problems and your ability to address them<\/a><\/li>\n
- 2. Streamline onboarding and build relationships with \u201cthe 5 conversations\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n
- 5 Key Takeaways From \u201cThe First 90 Days\u201d by Michael Watkins<\/a>\n