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The First 90 Days: An Executive Planning Template

The work begins the day you accept, not the day you walk in.

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Between 27 and 46 percent of executive transitions are regarded as failures within two years (McKinsey, 2018). Most fail over culture, politics, and relationships, not capability. Complete this template before you start. Revisit it at day 30, day 60, and day 90.

This template pairs with The First 90 Days at the Senior Level.

Section 1

Diagnose your situation

Before you act, identify the type of transition you are walking into. Michael Watkins identifies five: Start-up (building something new from scratch), Turnaround (rescuing a troubled situation), Accelerated growth (scaling something that is working), Realignment (repositioning a drifting organization), Sustaining success (maintaining strong performance). Each requires a meaningfully different posture in the first 90 days.

Section 2

Listening tour: first 30 days

Plan your first 30 days as an internal due diligence exercise. Identify who you need to meet, what you want to learn from each conversation, and record your key takeaway after each one.

Name and roleWhat I want to learn from this conversationKey takeaway (complete after the meeting)
Section 3

Early win targets

Identify two or three wins that demonstrate your understanding of what this organization actually values. Not the most impressive thing you can do. The most credible and relevant thing you can deliver in the first 60 to 90 days.

Early win 1
Early win 2
Early win 3
Section 4

Upward communication plan

Establish with your boss how, when, and on what topics you will communicate. Do this in the first two weeks, before assumptions form on either side.

Section 5

Day 30, 60, and 90 check

Day 30
Day 60
Day 90
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