Product Description

Whether challenged with taking on a startup, turning a business around, or inheriting a high-performing unit, a new leader's success or failure is determined within the first 90 days on the job.

In this hands-on guide, Michael Watkins, a noted expert on leadership transitions, offers proven strategies for moving successfully into a new role at any point in one's career. The First 90 Days provides a framework for transition acceleration that will help leaders diagnose their situations, craft winning transition strategies, and take charge quickly.

Practical examples illustrate how to learn about new organizations, build teams, create coalitions, secure early wins, and lay the foundation for longer-term success. In addition, Watkins provides strategies for avoiding the most common pitfalls new leaders encounter, and shows how individuals can protect themselves-emotionally as well as professionally-during what is often an intense and vulnerable period.

Concise and actionable, this is the survival guide no new leader should be without.

"Few companies develop a systematic 'on-boarding' process for their new leaders, even though this is a critical function with major organizational implications. Michael Watkins's The First 90 Days provides a powerful framework and strategies that will enable new leaders to take charge quickly. It is an invaluable tool for that most vulnerable time-the transition."

-Goli Darabi, Senior Vice President, Corporate Leadership & Succession Management, Fidelity Investments

"Every job-private- or public-sector, civilian or military-has its breakeven point, and everyone can accelerate their learning. Read this book at least twice: once before your next transition-before getting caught up in the whirl and blur of new faces, names, acronyms, and issues; then read it again after you've settled in, and consider how to accelerate transitions for your next new boss and for those who come to work for you."

-Colonel Eli Alford, U.S. Army

"Watkins provides an excellent road map, telling us what all new leaders need to know and do to accelerate their learning and success in a new role. The First 90 Days should be incorporated into every company's leadership development strategy, so that anyone making a transition in an organization can get up to speed quicker and smarter."

-Suzanne M. Danielle, Director of Global Leadership Development, Aventis

"Michael Watkins has nailed a huge corporate problem and provided the solution in one fell swoop. The pressure on new leaders to hit the ground running has never been greater, and the likelihood and cost of failure is escalating. Watkins's timing with The First 90 Days is impeccable."

-Gordon Curtis, Principal, Curtis Consulting

"The First 90 Days is a must-read for entrepreneurs. Anyone who's been the CEO of a start-up or early-stage company knows that you go through many 90-day leadership transitions in the course of a company's formative years. In this groundbreaking book, Michael Watkins provides crucial insights, as well as a toolkit of techniques, to enable you to accelerate through these transitions successfully."

-Mike Kinkead, President and CEO, timeBLASTER Corporation, serial entrepreneur, and Cofounder and Trustee, Massachusetts Software Council

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #887 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

Financial Times, October 9, 2003
"In his new book, Mr Watkins offers a do-it-yourself road map for executives..."

The Globe and Mail, November 12, 2003
"...an easy-to-ready and easy-to-follow handbook that no doubt will become a classic for anybody entering a new position."

Synopsis
Whether challenged with taking on a startup, turning a business around, or inheriting a high-performing unit, a new leader's success or failure is determined within the first 90 days on the job. In this hands-on guide, Michael Watkins, a noted expert on leadership transitions, offers proven strategies for moving successfully into a new role at any point in one's career. "The First 90 Days" provides a framework for transition acceleration that will help leaders diagnose their situations, craft winning transition strategies, and take charge quickly. Practical examples illustrate how to learn about new organizations, build teams, create coalitions, secure early wins, and lay the foundation for longer-term success. In addition, Watkins provides strategies for avoiding the most common pitfalls new leaders encounter, and shows how individuals can protect themselves-emotionally as well as professionally-during what is often an intense and vulnerable period.Concise and actionable, this is the survival guide no new leader should be without.

'Few companies develop a systematic 'on-boarding' process for their new leaders, even though this is a critical function with major organizational implications. Michael Watkins' "The First 90 Days" provides a powerful framework and strategies that will enable new leaders to take charge quickly. It is an invaluable tool for that most vulnerable time-the transition' - Goli Darabi, Senior Vice President, Corporate Leadership & Succession Management, Fidelity Investments.'Every job - private - or public-sector, civilian or military - has its breakeven point, and everyone can accelerate their learning. Read this book at least twice: once before your next transition - before getting caught up in the whirl and blur of new faces, names, acronyms, and issues; then read it again after you've settled in, and consider how to accelerate transitions for your next new boss and for those who come to work for you' - Colonel Eli Alford, U.S. Army.'Watkins provides an excellent road map, telling us what all new leaders need to know and do to accelerate their learning and success in a new role.

"The First 90 Days" should be incorporated into every company's leadership development strategy, so that anyone making a transition in an organization can get up to speed quicker and smarter' - Suzanne M. Danielle, Director of Global Leadership Development, Aventis. 'Michael Watkins has nailed a huge corporate problem and provided the solution in one fell swoop. The pressure on new leaders to hit the ground running has never been greater, and the likelihood and cost of failure is escalating. Watkins' timing with The First 90 Days is impeccable' - Gordon Curtis, Principal, Curtis Consulting.'"The First 90 Days" is a must-read for entrepreneurs. Anyone who's been the CEO of a start-up or early-stage company knows that you go through many 90-day leadership transitions in the course of a company's formative years. In this groundbreaking book, Michael Watkins provides crucial insights, as well as a toolkit of techniques, to enable you to accelerate through these transitions successfully' - Mike Kinkead, President and CEO, time BLASTER Corporation, serial entrepreneur, and Cofounder and Trustee, Massachusetts Software Council.

Customer Reviews

5 star for senior executives
I am only giving this book three stars as it doesn't completely do what it aims to. In the introduction the author sets out his desire to create a book that will serve managers of all levels but it falls somewhat short of this. In reality the book covers a lot of useful areas but it is written as if the reader is moving into a senior management role, if not an executive one. If you do not have the remit, for example, to hire and fire at will, create new products or restructure operations then I'd suggest that only about 25% of the material covered will be directly applicable, another 50% could be interpreted and adapted and the remainder focus on areas that may be outside of your scope of influence.

Having said the above I am glad that I have bought and read this book and, if I can utilise the 75% of the material that is relevant to me, I will be coming back to it again and again as I transition from one job to the next.

The things I liked about this book are:
* It's well written, if you like reading the Harvard Business Review you will probably like the way this is written
* It covers some interesting ideas that should be applicable to most managers
* Each chapter is well structured, containing examples of traps to avoid, frameworks to apply and simple end of chapter checklists
* It's reasonably well referenced with suggestions for further reading on some of its' more integral topics

A lifeline
Moving unexpectedly into an international leadership role, I found the transition much more challenging than I had expected. Despite being disgustingly well organised and focussed, the stark, fundamental difference between my old and new jobs (despite being in the same company, department and technical field) was like night and day. I mind mapped, set priorities and thought strategically, but still struggled (inwardly rather than externally) with how best to spend my time. Having been helpfully directed by my new boss to set a 90 day plan, I found my way to this book.

The book is excellent - clearly written it provides both conceptual advice about what you should be doing (and the guidance will apply very broadly) and detail about conversations to have, where to spend time, how to diagnose the business situation and importantly, mistakes to avoid.

Having read very widely on management and leadership as part of my MBA, this touches an area outside the standard texts. It does not tell you how to lead, what leadership is, or about great leaders, it is purely focussed on making the transition to leadership. It is practical, accessible and well written, and as an investment at an important point in your career, unparalleled.

A must have for all leaders
This book is a must have for all people changing roles. Using it you can build a detailed plan of what to do during your first 3 months after taking up your position. I have kept this as my bible when transitioning to all leadership roles from my first management position to global and board director positions. I still learn something new each time I read it!