The First 90 Days Transition Roadmap

The Transition Roadmap, developed through research by Michael Watkins, author of The First 90 Days, and decades of coaching by Genesis, provides a structured framework to help leaders transition into new roles efficiently. This roadmap encompasses eight core tasks designed to guide leaders in diagnosing, planning, and delivering effectively in their new positions while managing their energy and self-care. 

This roadmap encompasses eight core tasks designed to guide leaders in diagnosing, planning, and delivering effectively in their new positions while managing their energy and self-care. 

Accelerate Your Learning 

Leaders should focus on accelerating their learning by identifying technical, cultural, and political learning goals. Developing a comprehensive learning plan is crucial.

This plan should cover the fundamental aspects of the business, including:

• • Technical learning: Products, customers, technologies, and systems. 

• • Cultural learning: Organization's culture, values, and behavioral norms. 

• • Political learning: Power dynamics, decision-making processes, and key influencers. 

Efficient learning during the initial stages lays a solid foundation for a successful transition. The faster leaders learn about organizational challenges and strengths, the more they can accomplish in the critical first months. 

Match Your Strategy to the Situation 

Diagnosing the business situation using the STARS framework (Start-Up, Turnaround, Accelerated Growth, Realignment, and Sustaining Success) is vital.

Leaders must: 

• • Identify the type of situation they are in. 

• • Develop a change management approach tailored to the specific situation. 

• • Adapt their leadership style accordingly. 

Clear assessment of the business challenges helps in prioritizing work and allocating resources effectively, ensuring a smooth transition and successful strategy implementation. 

Gain Alignment 

Gaining alignment with managers is crucial for a productive working relationship.

Leaders should: 

• • Plan and engage in conversations to align on the situation, expectations, resources, and communication styles. 

Building a strong relationship with new managers is essential for a successful transition, ensuring mutual understanding and cooperation. 

Establish Direction 

As leaders learn more about their new roles, identifying priorities, strategies, and vision becomes crucial.

Leaders should: 

• • Align processes, structure, skills, and incentives to support the established direction. 

• • Communicate strategies and vision effectively to the team and organization. 

This step ensures cohesive progress and clarity in organizational goals, inspiring the team to work towards common objectives. 

Build Your Team 

Building an effective team is a critical task for new leaders.

Leaders must: 

• • Identify critical roles and skills necessary for the team. 

• • Assess team members to understand their strengths and areas for improvement. 

• • Reshape and align the team to meet strategic needs, potentially changing roles or team members as necessary. 

Leaders should focus on aligning and energizing the team to achieve organizational goals, ensuring a unified and capable team. 

Secure Early Wins 

Securing early wins builds credibility and momentum.

Leaders should: 

• • Identify promising early win opportunities. 

• • Gain alignment and stakeholder support for these opportunities. 

• • Execute on these early wins. 

Early wins should be significant enough to be perceived as important and achievable within a reasonable timeframe with available resources. These wins create virtuous cycles, leveraging the energy put into the organization and fostering a sense of progress and achievement. 

Create Alliances 

Building alliances is crucial for supporting key initiatives.

Leaders should: 

• • Identify powerful stakeholders whose support is essential. 

• • Develop a plan to gain stakeholder support, including creating an advice map and defining strategies for alliance-building. 

Understanding stakeholders' agendas and influencing them effectively is key for gaining the necessary support and advancing organizational goals. 

Manage Yourself 

Managing oneself is essential for sustaining success during transitions.

Leaders should: 

• • Recognize behaviors and actions that need to start, stop, or continue. 

• • Continue to build and leverage their advice network. 

Maintaining perspective, managing energy, and making sound judgments are crucial for navigating the demanding transition period. Staying disciplined in decision-making and investing in the right adviser network helps leaders maintain their equilibrium and make informed decisions. 

Conclusion 

The Transition Roadmap provides a comprehensive guide for leaders to navigate the critical first 90 days in a new role. By following the eight core tasks—accelerating learning, matching strategy to the situation, gaining alignment, establishing direction, building the team, securing early wins, creating alliances, and managing oneself—leaders can transition smoothly and set the foundation for long-term success. 

This framework forms the basis of Genesis' programs for leaders in transition. Genesis has adapted its programs to support leaders at all levels, ensuring they receive the necessary guidance and resources to excel in their new roles and drive their organizations forward. Learn more about our solutions below. 

• Executive Coaching 
• The First 90 Days Resources with Coaching
• The First 90 Days Express