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

by Michael D. Watkins

You therefore should start right away to identify those whose support is essential for your success, and to figure out how to line them up on your side.

create coalition

Accelerate everyone. Finally, you need to help all those in your organization—direct reports, bosses, and peers—accelerate their own transitions. The fact that you’re in transition means they are too.

accelerate transitio

you build a team of competent people whom you trust, you establish goals and metrics to monitor their progress, you translate higher-level goals into specific responsibilities for your direct reports, and you reinforce them through process.

rethink whAt you delegate

you attract much more attention and a higher level of scrutiny than before.

attention

How will you make it your own?

branding yourself

What’s really changed? What should you do? Broader impact horizon. There is a broader range of issues, people, and ideas to focus on. Balance depth and breadth. Greater complexity and ambiguity. There are more variables, and there is greater uncertainty about outcomes. Delegate more deeply. Tougher organizational politics. There are more powerful stakeholders to contend with. Influence differently. Further from the front lines. There is greater distance between you and the people executing on the ground, potentially weakening communication and adding more filters. Communicate more formally. More scrutiny. There is more attention paid to your actions by more people, more frequently. Adjust to greater visibility.

length and breadth

To overcome these barriers and succeed in joining a new company, you should focus on four pillars of effective onboarding: business orientation, stakeholder connection, alignment of expectations, and cultural adaptation.

4 pillars

do whatever it takes to get into the transition

do whatever it takes