The First 90 Days has been called ‘The Onboarding Bible’ by the Economist and provides a detailed theoretical framework for executives seeking to hit the ground running when starting a new job or taking on a new role.
The First 90 Days Summary
The First 90 Days is a business school classic.
First published in 2003, the book offers a comprehensive framework for thinking about and achieving success when moving into a new role or onboarding new staff. Covering topics such as accelerated learning, negotiating success, securing early wins and building teams and alliances – this has become a guidebook for transitioning successfully into a new role.
Below are some of the key insights from the book.
Key Insights
- Transitions are critical times where even experienced professionals face the risk of becoming unstuck.
- Many people fail to make a mental break from one role into another assuming that they are hired to replicate past success.
- When starting a new role, 30 days of structured questioning and feedback can help accelerate your learning and set the scene for success.
- You can use the STARS model to find the appropriate strategy for the situations of Startups, Turnarounds, Accelerated Growth, Realignments or Sustained Success.
- Most people fail to negotiate what success looks like with their superior early on, which can lead to major problems of miscommunication.
- As you role expands, you increasingly need to play the role of aligning company strategy, structure, systems, skills and culture to achieve success through others.
- You can apply the criteria of competence, judgement, growth, energy and trust to determine how to build your team to achieve the objectives of growth.
- When seeking success, it’s important to formally map networks of influence, deference and support and also observe unspoken rules about how to achieve success within the culture of the business.
- Aside from working with others, it’s also important to manage your own energy with effective personal disciplines and informal networks of advice and counsel.
- While many companies don’t pay attention to transition, adopting this framework in reverse can help new hires to adjust to the culture of a business, work more effectively within it and promote greater success and morale as a whole.