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

In the introduction, Watkins sets the stage for the book by emphasizing the critical importance of successfully navigating the early days in a new leadership role. He draws a parallel between the first 90 days of a leader's tenure and the initial 100 days of a US President's term, highlighting how actions taken during this period can significantly impact one's success or failure.

Watkins asserts that failure in a new position can have serious consequences and may end up derailing a promising career. He points out that leadership derailments often stem from vicious cycles that develop within the first few months on the job. These cycles can not only lead to outright failure but also hinder leaders from reaching their full potential. Watkins supports these claims with data from a survey of senior HR leaders, indicating that transitions into new roles are universally seen as the most challenging times in the professional lives of leaders.

The introduction underscores The Challenges of Transitioning into a New Leadership Role. Leaders entering new roles face heightened scrutiny, and their effectiveness is quickly judged. Watkins stresses that building credibility, securing early wins, and avoiding pitfalls in these early days are crucial for long-term success. He identifies these common pitfalls, such as leaders sticking with what they know, acting too hastily, setting unrealistic expectations, or neglecting crucial relationships. Watkins advocates for a comprehensive framework for making successful transitions; what works in one situation may not work in another.

Watkins introduces the concept of the “break-even point” in transitions (7), which is the moment when a leader contributes as much value to the organization as they have consumed from it. The book's goal is to help leaders reach this point as rapidly as possible. Watkins mentions that achieving the break-even point typically takes about 6.2 months, highlighting the variation based on specific circumstances; some leaders create value immediately while others take longer.

The introduction also outlines the fundamental principles for successful transitions, emphasizing the importance of preparation, learning, strategy alignment, securing early wins, negotiation with superiors, achieving alignment within the organization, building effective teams, creating coalitions, and accelerating everyone's transitions.

Watkins acknowledges that the key to a successful transition is creating virtuous cycles and avoiding vicious cycles. He underscores the need for a comprehensive framework to make these transitions effective.

Watkins introduces the story of Julia Gould, a successful marketing professional who was promoted to lead a major product development project. Her rapid rise through the ranks in her company was the result of her exceptional intelligence, focus, and determination. However, she quickly encountered difficulties in her new role as a project leader.

The chapter digs deep into the dynamics of transitioning, focusing on two common types of transitions: promotions and onboarding into new companies. When joining a new company, leaders face the complex task of adapting to different organizational contexts, structures, and cultures. Watkins suggests that these leaders must develop a solid business orientation, connect with key stakeholders, and adapt to the culture to succeed in their new roles.

Watkins stresses the significance of understanding and adapting to the culture of the new organization, highlighting the multi-layered nature of culture. From visible elements like symbols and language to deeper norms and shared values, Watkins emphasizes the importance of comprehending and adjusting to these cultural aspects.

Watkins argues the need for leaders to mentally transition from their old roles to the new ones. He suggests that leaders should pick a specific time to imagine themselves making this shift, thinking about the differences between the two roles and embracing the changes. Self-awareness is a key component of this, as Watkins encourages leaders to assess their vulnerabilities. Recognizing these weaknesses allows leaders to compensate for potential blind spots.

Lastly, Watkins addresses the need to relearn how to learn, acknowledging the stress and potential feelings of incompetence that can accompany steep learning curves.

In this chapter, Watkins focuses on the critical importance of Accelerating the Learning Curve to Excel in a New Leadership Role. He begins by illustrating this point through the story of Chris Hadley, who assumed a leadership position at Phoenix Systems without adequately understanding the organization's history, culture, and challenges. His inability to grasp these crucial aspects led to a series of missteps and a decline in organizational performance. Watkins contends that Chris's experience is not uncommon, and new leaders often struggle because they fail to focus on learning about their new organization.

Watkins emphasizes that learning should be the foundation upon which a leader builds their plan for the first 90 days in a new role. By rapidly and efficiently acquiring essential insights about the organization, one can shorten their “window of vulnerability” and be better prepared to make informed decisions and address potential challenges (40).

Watkins identifies several common roadblocks that hinder effective learning during transitions. One such barrier is the overwhelming amount of information new leaders face, often described as “drinking from a fire hose” (40). Amid this deluge of data, crucial signals and insights may be missed, leading to uninformed decisions. Watkins also highlights the tendency for leaders to focus excessively on technical aspects of the business, such as products and strategies, at the expense of understanding organizational culture and politics.

A significant challenge lies in the lack of training for systematically diagnosing organizations, a skill that is often overlooked in management education. Watkins also introduces the concept of the “action imperative” which afflicts leaders who are overly eager to take immediate action without investing time in learning. This urgency is often internal, reflecting a need to prove oneself, but it can lead to poor early decisions and, subsequently, a loss of credibility.

Watkins emphasizes that some new leaders arrive with preconceived solutions, believing that what worked in one organization will work in another. Such an approach can lead to alienation and serious mistakes, as it disregards the unique dynamics and challenges of the new organization.

Watkins stresses that leaders must focus on learning about and adapting to the new organization's culture, which is crucial for avoiding the organizational equivalent of “organ rejection syndrome” (42). Even when tasked with introducing new practices, understanding culture and politics remains essential.

To address these learning roadblocks, Watkins recommends structured learning methods. He outlines a cyclical learning process involving collecting information, analyzing and distilling it, and developing and testing hypotheses. By adopting this approach, leaders can systematically deepen their understanding of the organization.

Lastly, Watkins acknowledges the role of support from bosses, peers, and direct reports in facilitating the learning process. Leaders are encouraged to ask for help and not feel pressured to know everything from the start.