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

by Michael D. Watkins

TABLE 3-1 The STARS model Start-Up Turnaround Accelerated growth Realignment Sustaining success Assembling the capabilities (people, financing, and technology) to get a new business or initiative off the ground Saving a business or initiative widely acknowledged to be in serious trouble Managing a rapidly expanding business Reenergizing a previously successful organization that now faces problems Preserving the vitality of a successful organization and taking it to the next level Challenges Building the strategy, structures, and systems from scratch without a clear framework or boundaries Recruiting and welding together a high-performing team Making do with limited resources Reenergizing demoralized employees and other stakeholders Making effective decisions under time pressure Going deep enough with painful cuts and difficult personnel choices Putting in place structures and systems to permit scaling Integrating many new employees Convincing employees that change is necessary Carefully restructuring the top team and refocusing the organization Living in the shadow of the former leader and managing the team he or she created Playing good defense before embarking on too many new initiatives Finding ways to take the business to the next level Opportunities You can do things right from the beginning. People are energized by the possibilities. There are no rigid preconceptions. Everyone recognizes that change is necessary. Affected constituencies offer significant external sup...