Book: The First 90 Days
Reviewed by: Kenzie Bertrand
The Premise: The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins is a practical guide to navigating career transitions and setting yourself up for success in any new role—whether you’re moving into leadership, switching industries, or leveling up your current position. The core idea is simple but powerful: what you do in your first 90 days can make or break your trajectory. Watkins introduces a framework for accelerating transitions, with strategies like securing early wins, aligning expectations, diagnosing situations, and building coalitions.
The book is organized into ten clear chapters, each addressing a key challenge or opportunity during a transition period. Some standout chapters include “Promote Yourself,” “Match Strategy to Situation,” and “Achieve Alignment.” The tone is confident, informed, and coaching-like, backed by examples from real leaders navigating messy, high-stakes transitions. What I liked most is how it blends structure with flexibility—you get tools, but not a rigid playbook. It’s very much a choose-your-own-adventure for ambitious professionals.
The Bottomline: At its core, the book promises that with the right mindset and tools, you can shorten the learning curve and avoid common traps during role changes. It delivers a roadmap for success—one that’s rooted in reflection, strategy, and intentional leadership.
This book came at the perfect time for me as I recently completed my PMP exam and as I start to reflect on how I want to show up in my career in this next stage of professional growth. The First 90 Days gave me the language and structure to think about my career growth more strategically. It’s also a helpful reminder that getting the title, certification, or seat at the table isn’t the finish line—it’s the launchpad.
What resonated most was the idea of “promoting yourself,” not just in title but in identity. After a few years of managing programs behind the scenes, I’m gaining more confidence in owning my role as a strategic PM. This book helped validate that mindset shift and gave me tangible steps to back it up. The emphasis on early wins also got me thinking about how I can better communicate value in a new project or team dynamic, especially in fast-moving environments where impressions matter.
Recommendation: I recommend this book to anyone stepping into a new role or ready to lead with more intention. Perfect for emerging leaders who want to hit the ground running and actually enjoy the process.
