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The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, Updated and Expanded Hardcover – May 14, 2013

by Michael D. Watkins (Author)
#1 Best Seller in Job Hunting & Career Guides
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Named one of 100 Leadership & Success Books to Read in a Lifetime by Amazon Editors

The world’s most trusted guide for leaders in transition

Transitions are a critical time for leaders. In fact, most agree that moving into a new role is the biggest challenge a manager will face. While transitions offer a chance to start fresh and make needed changes in an organization, they also place leaders in a position of acute vulnerability. Missteps made during the crucial first three months in a new role can jeopardize or even derail your success.

In this updated and expanded version of the international bestseller The First 90 Days, Michael D. Watkins offers proven strategies for conquering the challenges of transitions—no matter where you are in your career. Watkins, a noted expert on leadership transitions and adviser to senior leaders in all types of organizations, also addresses today’s increasingly demanding professional landscape, where managers face not only more frequent transitions but also steeper expectations once they step into their new jobs.

By walking you through every aspect of the transition scenario, Watkins identifies the most common pitfalls new leaders encounter and provides the tools and strategies you need to avoid them. You’ll learn how to secure critical early wins, an important first step in establishing yourself in your new role. Each chapter also includes checklists, practical tools, and self-assessments to help you assimilate key lessons and apply them to your own situation.

Whether you’re starting a new job, being promoted from within, embarking on an overseas assignment, or being tapped as CEO, how you manage your transition will determine whether you succeed or fail. Use this book as your trusted guide.
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  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harvard Business Review Press
  4. Publication date
    May 14, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    7.76 x 5.08 x 0.78 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1422188612
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1422188613
  8. See all details
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  1. Master Your Next Move, with a New Introduction: The Essential Companion to "The First 90 Days"
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Next page

Get to know this book

Previous page

  1. What's it about?

    A practical guide for leaders navigating new roles, offering strategies to overcome common pitfalls and secure early wins during critical transition periods.

  2. Popular highlight

    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.
    18,848 Kindle readers highlighted this

  3. Popular highlight

    Remember: simply displaying a genuine desire to learn and understand translates into increased credibility and influence.
    18,073 Kindle readers highlighted this

  4. Popular highlight

    In the first few weeks, you need to identify opportunities to build personal credibility. In the first 90 days, you need to identify ways to create value and improve business results that will help you get to the break-even point more rapidly.
    16,319 Kindle readers highlighted this

  5. Popular highlight

    Decision making becomes more political—less about authority, and more about influence.
    15,410 Kindle readers highlighted this

  6. Popular highlight

    Effective leaders strike the right balance between doing (making things happen) and being (observing and reflecting).
    14,585 Kindle readers highlighted this
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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

“His wisdom, and research, has helped many masterfully onboard into new positions.” — Forbes.com

“Watkins has taken a rather prosaic proposition (first impressions count) and built around it a handbook that grown-ups can use in business, particularly in times of change and transition.” — Idealog (New Zealand)

“A useful addition to leadership studies collections.” — Choice magazine

“The First 90 Days is a rich source of material for any executive coach and of course any uncoached executive. I highly recommend it.” — Coaching Today

“The First 90 Days and its digital counterpart serve as valued resources for leaders just stepping into a critical new role—when first impressions matter so much, and every word or deed can tip the scale of public opinion.” — T+D magazine (American Society for Training & Development)

“No business holding should be without this expanded coverage.” — Midwest Book Review

“Any person who gets a new job or promotion or position, can use this book to be more effective in the first 3 months on the job…. It is no doubt that [The First 90 Days] has lasting-power and will remain popular and useful for many years to come.” — 800 CEO READ

“…packed with practical suggestions for how to successfully navigate through new scenarios.” — GuruFocus.com

“In his seminal book The First 90 Days, Michael Watkins advises that, as a leader in the first 90 days of a new leadership role, you should promote yourself, accelerate your learning, match your strategy to the situation, and create coalitions.” — FastCompany.com

“a superb guide” — Globe & Mail

About the Author

Michael D. Watkins is a cofounder of Genesis Advisers, a leadership development consultancy that specializes in the design of onboarding and transition acceleration solutions, workshops, and coaching for Fortune 500 companies.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harvard Business Review Press; Updated, Expanded edition (May 14, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1422188612
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1422188613
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.76 x 5.08 x 0.78 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Michael Watkins

Michael Watkins

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Michael Watkins coaches C-level executives of global organizations and is founder of Genesis Advisers (www.genesisadvisers.com), a global leadership development consultancy specializing in transition acceleration for leaders, teams and organizations. He is also Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change at the IMD Business School where he teaches a popular Virtual First 90 Days Open Program for leaders in transition (www.imd.org/f90d). He has spent the last two decades working with executives - both corporate and public – to help them craft their legacies as leaders and is ranked among the leading management thinkers globally by Thinkers50 (2019).

Watkins is author of the international bestseller The First 90 Days Updated and Expanded: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, aptly dubbed “The Onboarding Bible” by The Economist. With over a million copies sold in English and translations in 24 languages, The First 90 Days is the classic reference for leaders in transition and a standard learning and development resource for executive onboarding. Amazon named it one of its top 100 business books of all time.

Prior to joining IMD, Watkins was a member of faculty at INSEAD, Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he designed and taught world-class programs for high-potential leader development, corporate diplomacy, and strategic negotiation.

You can find Michael:

On LinkedIn (www.linkedin/in/michaeldwatkins)

On Twitter (@MichaelDWatkins)

You can follow The First 90 Days:

First 90 Days Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/thefirst90days)

First 90 Days YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/first90days)

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
10,960 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book's content helpful and pragmatic, with good frameworks and tips. They also appreciate the conciseness, stating that the book teaches you how to onboard yourself. Opinions differ on the content, with some finding it good and good for new joiners, while others find it boring and dry.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
UsefulnessReadabilityRealismOverall valueContent
312 customers mention "Usefulness"300 positive12 negative

Customers find the book helpful, with good frameworks and tips. They also say it offers practical examples and spurs thought and intentionality during the early phase of a job transition. Readers also mention it's highly useful for getting up to speed, providing a road map to learning quickly. They say it'd be a good read for evaluating what went wrong with an old job.

"...This has truly brought understanding to crucial mistakes I have been making in my career...." Read more

"...It gives you so many different perspectives! When going into my role I had this idea of how I was going to “shake things up”!..." Read more

"I’m half way through the book. So far, the content has been helpful, there are good frameworks and tips...." Read more

"...It was especially insightful to read about the various states a leader could discover an organization is in, and the strategies on how to manage it...." Read more

132 customers mention "Readability"120 positive12 negative

Customers find the book succinct, easy to read, and well-structured. They appreciate the step-by-step chapters and charts and forms. Readers also mention that the book teaches you how to onboard yourself and do a better job at it.

"...So far, the content has been helpful, there are good frameworks and tips...." Read more

"While a lot of this is common sense, it is laid out in a very orderly fashion that can help the person in transition pay attention to the various..." Read more

"...The author provides step by step chapters on the different things you have to think about and what phases a transition plan will entail...." Read more

"...It's a super easy read and I highly recommend it!" Read more

12 customers mention "Realism"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very realistic and based on common sense. They also appreciate the excellent presentation and tactical advice to help deliver value faster.

"The Science of Business Transitions! It's absolutely amazing!..." Read more

"...Very good for looking into how to attack a new opportunity...." Read more

"It was a very nice and clean book .. I highly recommend that store … keep it up" Read more

"I’m often weary of books with frameworks, but this one is really well done...." Read more

9 customers mention "Overall value"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well worth the investment.

"wanted to buy the book so I could mark up the pages. Best price and I had it same day!" Read more

"...All in all, this was time and money well-spent." Read more

"...Still, a very useful tool with PLENTY of good stuff, well worth the $ and the time." Read more

"...I strongly recommend the app that accompanies the book, well worth the investment. This is money extremely well spent." Read more

47 customers mention "Content"23 positive24 negative

Customers are mixed about the content. Some mention that the book provides a good start point for any new joiner, and is great for new jobs or roles within the same company. They also say the concept of early wins resonates well. However, other customers feel the book is boring, repetitive, and not motivational. They mention that it does not have that many takeaways, and that the experience is very annoying.

"...That part is disappointing, but other than that, everything is good." Read more

"...was overwhelmed with a somewhat poorly organized and highly repetitive series of fairly obvious/intuitive "things to think about and try while..." Read more

"...Good fundamental and pragmatic approach to approach my new role." Read more

"...I do feel that some of this is just flat out “duh” and not really all that insightful (about 10-15%) but most of it is useful and enlightening.)..." Read more

Received a Damaged Book
3 Stars
Received a Damaged Book
Was not expecting a damaged book. Though I was buying a new hardcover book. Clearly the check-make makes it ok, still has all the pages so it is readable. Would have just gone to barns and noble had I know this is the condition it would be in.
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Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible!
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2024
Verified Purchase
The Science of Business Transitions! It's absolutely amazing!

I have never had the pleasure of reading something so extensive and fact based. This has truly brought understanding to crucial mistakes I have been making in my career. I feel much more confident as a leader and as an entrepreneur. GREAT BOOK!
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Must buy
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2024
Verified Purchase
This is incredible book if you want to move up in your current place of employment or look for other opportunities! It gives you so many different perspectives! When going into my role I had this idea of how I was going to “shake things up”! Luckily I read the book prior to starting and gave me such a more insightful way to look at things! I am more successful bc of this book!
2 people found this helpful
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Nick P
4.0 out of 5 stars Good content, but can be a lot more concise
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2022
Verified Purchase
I’m half way through the book. So far, the content has been helpful, there are good frameworks and tips. I think the book can be cut down by half if it was more concise, there is an overwhelming amount of questions and honestly, it feels like a bit too much to keep in mind as I’m transitioning to a new job.

I enjoy the case studies. Sometimes the expansion of concepts feel repetitive.
8 people found this helpful
Helpful
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Jim
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Helpful Overview and Suggested Strategy
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2024
Verified Purchase
While a lot of this is common sense, it is laid out in a very orderly fashion that can help the person in transition pay attention to the various aspects of that process. The STARS tool of types of leadership needed was very helpful in both assessing the situation and considering how that impacts transition.
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Sherice
5.0 out of 5 stars Clearly provides steps to success
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2024
Verified Purchase
I appreciate how the author methodically provided the steps that should be taken to achieve early wins in a new role. It was especially insightful to read about the various states a leader could discover an organization is in, and the strategies on how to manage it. It was heavy to read but worth it!
One person found this helpful
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Samantha Downing
3.0 out of 5 stars Good book but not realistic, and not really any new ideas
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book was ok, but kind of states the obvious. No real "aha" ideas. Additionally ,everyone loves a good 3-60-90 day plan, but the reality is you get thrown into the fire on day one and all your plans get thrown out the window.
7 people found this helpful
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CJ
5.0 out of 5 stars Used for work
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
It helps structure your plan for when you take on a new role - mentioning this an interview impressed a potential boss.
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Love the book! Amazing read before a new start in your career. Unfortunately, my book was not printed currently. I have two chapter 7’s no chapter 8 or 9. Not quite sure what happened there but it’s a little disappointing.
4.0 out of 5 stars Missing chapters
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2023
Verified Purchase
Great read! Love this book. Gets you in the right mindset before a new beginning in your career. Unfortunately, my book was printed incorrectly. It has two chapter 7’s and is missing chapter 8 and 9. Not quite sure how that happening. That part is disappointing, but other than that, everything is good.
7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Ahmed karoui
5.0 out of 5 stars Très intéressant
Reviewed in Canada on June 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
J’ai bien aimé le livre
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Laryssa B.
5.0 out of 5 stars Acheté par recommandation
Reviewed in France on June 18, 2024
Verified Purchase
Parfait
On peut enlever la couverture en papier et le livre est super sobre, dure et noire.
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Kindle-Kunde
5.0 out of 5 stars Überraschend
Reviewed in Germany on February 26, 2024
Verified Purchase
Das Buch wurde mir von einer Kollegin empfohlen. Ich hatte keine großen Erwartungen, da Bücher dieser Art selten ECHTE Hilfestellung leisten. Dieses Buch hat mich aber positiv überrascht. Die Fallbeispiele sind knapp aber aussagekräftig und die Erklärungen kompakt. Gute Checklisten und eine sinnvolle Timeline mit den sitauationsabhängigen Aufgaben runden das Bild für mich ab.
Ich werde mir für meinen bevorstehenden Jobwechsel diesen Blueprint zu Herzen nehmen und mich Schritt für Schritt einarbeiten. Das Buch ist wie ein Führer, der dich dabei unterdtützt den Stolpersteinen einer Beruflichenveränderung auszuweichen.
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DavidB7814
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, full of valuable insights with a very structured approach.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2024
Verified Purchase
After the first read I can safely say it's hard to find a better book than this one to be successful in your new role.

It covers a large spectrum of essential topics , keeping a very understandable,structured approach to understand what it takes to be best in class in your new role, in efficient manner.

All resources are provided to put in application immediately what is originally developed in the book.

It is so rich in providing solid methodology that keeping it with you all the time is not an option, it's a requirement, a duty. An absolute must-have!
One person found this helpful
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Cliente Kindle
5.0 out of 5 stars Transição
Reviewed in Brazil on February 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
Excelente livro para pessoas que estão fazendo uma transição, seja a mesma através de uma promoção na mesma unidade de negócio ou uma mudança de área.
Apresenta ferramentas que irão te auxiliar a analisar cenários e também sugestões de como agir.
3 people found this helpful
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