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

by Michael D. Watkins

4. Build the leadership team Evaluate the team you inherited. Move deftly to make the necessary changes; find the optimal balance between bringing in outside talent and elevating high potentials within the organization. Clean house at the top. Recruit external talent. Make a few important changes. Promote high potentials from within. 5. Secure early wins Think through how you plan to “arrive” in the new organization. Find ways to build personal credibility and energize the ranks. Shift the organizational mind-set from despair to hope. Shift the organizational mind-set from denial to awareness. 6. Create supporting alliances Identify how the organization really works and who has influence. Create key coalitions in support of your initiatives. Gain support from bosses and other stakeholders to invest the required resources. Build alliances sideways and down