What should a new director focus on in the first 90 days?

The short answer

Focus on three things: what the role must deliver, who you depend on to deliver it, and how you will protect your own time and energy. Almost everything on a long first-90-days checklist is a detail of one of those three.

That is easier to say than to hold onto, because the first weeks of a new director role are noisy. Everyone has an urgent request, and the pull to prove yourself is strong. A short list of priorities gives you something to say no with.

Why the first 90 days get so much attention

The phrase comes mainly from Michael Watkins’s book The First 90 Days. It describes a “break-even point”, when your organisation needs you as much as you need the job, and argues that a deliberate plan can help you reach it sooner. That is the idea behind this article: a short, deliberate list of priorities beats a long checklist.

The wider picture is less comforting. The Chartered Management Institute reports that 82% of managers who enter management positions have had no formal management and leadership training. Many new directors learn the job by doing it, so a simple, deliberate structure helps.

1. Get clear on what the role must deliver

Write one page that answers: what must this role deliver this year, how will we know, and what is not part of the role? Then test it with your manager. The test matters more than the page. Two people can nod at the same job description and mean different things.

Two questions usually pay off:

• “If we meet in a year and you are pleased, what will have happened?”
• “Which of the things I did in my previous role should I stop doing?”

The second one is often the hardest. Promotions rarely come with a list of what to drop, so old responsibilities quietly stay on your desk and crowd out the new job.

2. Build working relationships with the people your results depend on

List the peers, partners and teams your results depend on. Book time with each, early, and ask two things: what do you need from me, and what should I know that is not written down? Listen more than you talk. In the first month you are still gathering information, and what you hear will change what you think the role needs.

Include the people who report to you, especially if they used to be your peers, and your own manager. The article on managing former peers and the one on working with a new boss go into more detail.

3. Protect your time and energy

A new director role usually brings more meetings, more decisions and less obvious progress. Capacity is the quiet constraint: if every hour is booked, nothing you learn can turn into a better decision. Block regular time to think, notice what a sustainable workload looks like, and identify one person outside your reporting line you can ask for candid advice. The article on protecting thinking time covers this in more detail.

A rough shape for three months

• Weeks 1 to 4: listen and learn. Meet people, read what has been written, ask the role questions, and draft your one-page note.
• Weeks 5 to 8: decide the first few things. Agree the note with your manager. Choose two or three priorities and one or two things to stop. Make small, visible decisions, not a reorganisation.
• Weeks 9 to 12: show and adjust. Share your priorities with the team, ask what is working, and change what is not.

Be careful with big changes in the first weeks. A restructure announced before you understand the work is hard to take back.

When it feels like too much

A big move is demanding, and some stress is normal. If it is affecting your sleep, mood or health, talk to your GP. In England you can also refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies without seeing a GP first. If you are in distress and need to talk now, Samaritans are free to call on 116 123, at any time. Coaching can support how you lead, but it is not therapy or treatment.

Where to start this week

Write the one-page note. It takes an hour, and it turns a vague worry into something you can check with your manager.

This article is general information, not professional, legal or medical advice. If your situation is complex or affects your health or employment, speak to a suitable professional.

Sources

• Michael D. Watkins, The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter (Harvard Business Review Press, updated and expanded edition, 2013). Accessed 2026-10-02.
• Chartered Management Institute (CMI), Better Management Report: Take Responsibility, Take Action. Accessed 2026-10-02.

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