The first 90 days

What is meant by the first 90 days?

The first 90 days is the idea that a leader's first three months in a new role set its course. It comes from Michael Watkins's book The First 90 Days, published by Harvard Business School Press in 2003, with an updated edition in 2013. Watkins argues that a new leader should diagnose the situation they inherit and fit their approach to it.

Why it matters to a revenue leader

The 90-day frame gives a new CRO room to learn before acting, and gives the CEO and board a shared timeline for first judgments. In Watkins's view, a turnaround calls for different early moves than taking over a team that is already hitting plan. A 2018 McKinsey article cautions that most new hires take longer than 90 days to reach full productivity, so the window sets direction and trust more than it delivers results. For a CRO in a PE-backed company, those first months can also shape how much patience the sponsor extends later.

A CRO joins a PE-backed environmental services company. In her first weeks she meets every branch manager and reads through recent lost bids. Before the window closes, she shows the board what she found and the changes she plans to make first, along with what she has chosen to leave alone for now.