Customer Rating:  
Summary: Decent but Dry
Comment: I purchased this book in concert with a promotion thinking it might be useful during my transition. While it was informative and on point, most of its lessons were obvious to any seasoned leader and frankly it was a very dry read.
If you are new to management or have not had much developmental time in improving your management skill this book will be valuable to you. Leadership ? I could recommend a number of better books for the first 90 days...
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Primer for Taking On a Management Job
Comment: The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins is squarely aimed at the task of a manager coming in and dealing with a new team. Those first ninety days can really make or break a business relationship and it is well worth studying this information before you take on a new job.
Michael breaks down your task into these discreet steps: promote yourself, accelerate your learning, match your strategy to your situation, get early wins, negotiate success, achieve an alignment, build your team, create coalitions, keep your balance and expedite everyone. Each step gets its own discussion so you get a handle on how to succeed in each area.
New hires are often swamped with "learning things" - Michael helps you balance that learning with actually doing productive work. That way people feel energized by your being there and get a sense of your promise.
Even if you're moving up in the same organization or taking on new responsibilities a lot of these issues are still important. You want to maintain solid boundaries - otherwise you'll get angry and resentful at people taking advantage of you. You want to admit errors quickly so you're not thought of as rigid and undependable. You want to proactively deal with problems instead of avoiding them, manage your stress so you don't burn out, and have a support system to keep you going.
There are a few "real life" style examples in the book, but it primarily is laid out like a textbook to learn and study. While some might find this difficult to read, it is well worth treating a new job LIKE an important test you want to study for. You may not get a letter grade - but your job success is probably far more vital than any random chemistry exam ever was.
Yes, some of this might seem like "common sense" - but after all, many bosses fail. They just don't understand all the aspects of their job. It is well worth reading through this even if you know 8 out of 10 things listed. Getting a good handle on the remaining two might be the difference between success and failure.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good Overview and Framework
Comment: This book offers a good overview and framework for how best to approach the "first 90 days" in a new role. Different strategies and tactics are presented based on different job scenarios (e.g. start-up versus established company).
I found this book useful as a reference for areas of focus, and overall process, in the context of a new role. The only drawback, in my opinion, to this publication is some non-critical material interspersed throughout the book.
The central points and frameworks are found in various parts of the book and some of the supporting material is not critical to conveying the meaningful and useful messages of the book.
Extra content notwithstanding, this is a good book for anyone taking on a new role or working with others transitioning into a new role.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Indispensable reference book
Comment: I used the book for coaching C level/mid level executives at their new jobs. I also had some of them read the book. The book works. Its simple, concise and focused on getting you through the first 90 days at your new job and leveraging the most of your situation. If applied properly the principles depicted in the book will help your career. Good job Watkins. Jim Kayalar is a Certified Management Consultant with the Institute of Management Consultants USA (IMC-USA) with 20 plus years of experience in a myriad of industries. Jim Kayalar is the managing director and founder of Business Tune Up.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good for CEO or first time supervisor
Comment: Clear and concise action plan. Helps you think before just jumping in and running in circles.
Whether challenged with taking on a startup, turning a business around, or inheriting a high-performing unit, a new leader's success or failure is determined within the first 90 days on the job. In this hands-on guide, Michael Watkins, a noted expert on leadership transitions, offers proven strategies for moving successfully into a new role at any point in one's career. The First 90 Days provides a framework for transition acceleration that will help leaders diagnose their situations, craft winning transition strategies, and take charge quickly. Practical examples illustrate how to learn about new organizations, build teams, create coalitions, secure early wins, and lay the foundation for longer-term success. In addition, Watkins provides strategies for avoiding the most common pitfalls new leaders encounter, and shows how individuals can protect themselves-emotionally as well as professionally-during what is often an intense and vulnerable period. Concise and actionable, this is the survival guide no new leader should be without. "Few companies develop a systematic 'on-boarding' process for their new leaders, even though this is a critical function with major organizational implications. Michael Watkins's The First 90 Days provides a powerful framework and strategies that will enable new leaders to take charge quickly. It is an invaluable tool for that most vulnerable time-the transition."
-Goli Darabi, Senior Vice President, Corporate Leadership & Succession Management, Fidelity Investments "Every job-private- or public-sector, civilian or military-has its breakeven point, and everyone can accelerate their learning. Read this book at least twice: once before your next transition-before getting caught up in the whirl and blur of new faces, names, acronyms, and issues; then read it again after you've settled in, and consider how to accelerate transitions for your next new boss and for those who come to work for you."
-Colonel Eli Alford, U.S. Army "Watkins provides an excellent road map, telling us what all new leaders need to know and do to accelerate their learning and success in a new role. The First 90 Days should be incorporated into every company's leadership development strategy, so that anyone making a transition in an organization can get up to speed quicker and smarter."
-Suzanne M. Danielle, Director of Global Leadership Development, Aventis "Michael Watkins has nailed a huge corporate problem and provided the solution in one fell swoop. The pressure on new leaders to hit the ground running has never been greater, and the likelihood and cost of failure is escalating. Watkins's timing with The First 90 Days is impeccable."
-Gordon Curtis, Principal, Curtis Consulting
"The First 90 Days is a must-read for entrepreneurs. Anyone who's been the CEO of a start-up or early-stage company knows that you go through many 90-day leadership transitions in the course of a company's formative years. In this groundbreaking book, Michael Watkins provides crucial insights, as well as a toolkit of techniques, to enable you to accelerate through these transitions successfully."
-Mike Kinkead, President and CEO, timeBLASTER Corporation, serial entrepreneur, and Cofounder and Trustee, Massachusetts Software Council
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