The First 90 Days Playbook
Your Week-by-Week Action Plan for New Managers
Open it Monday. Start Week 1. Follow the checkboxes.
Not a book. Not a course. A working document you fill in as you go — 13 weeks of checkboxes, prompts, and reflection exercises that build the habits most managers take years to develop.
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What's Inside
10 files. Zero fluff. Every page earns its place.
1 The Playbook — 13 Weeks, 3 Phases
An editable Word document that walks you through your entire first 90 days. Each week has a clear goal, actionable checkboxes, fill-in prompts, and a reflection question.
Phase 1
Listen & Learn
Weeks 1–4
Meet your team, align with your boss, find quick wins, and build trust before making changes.
Phase 2
Build & Act
Weeks 5–8
Set direction, fix broken processes, give your first feedback, and start delegating.
Phase 3
Lead & Accelerate
Weeks 9–13
Develop your people, handle the hard stuff, build your system, and plan the next quarter.
2 3 Standalone Worksheets
Boss Alignment Worksheet
Prepare for your first meeting with your boss. Questions to ask, notes to capture, and a post-meeting summary template.
Team Assessment Worksheet
Map your team's strengths, gaps, and development needs. Includes a Skill/Will matrix and a development action plan.
30 / 60 / 90 Day Goals Worksheet
Set measurable goals for each phase, track progress, and do a structured 90-day self-review. Share it with your boss.
3 6 Quick Reference Cards
One-page PDF cheat sheets. Print them, pin them to your wall, or keep them on your desktop.
Giving Feedback (SBI Model)
The Situation-Behavior-Impact framework with examples.
Running Effective 1-on-1s
Meeting structure, questions, and red flags to watch.
How to Delegate
The 5-step process and 5 traps that kill delegation.
Handling Team Conflict
Resolution process and de-escalation phrases.
How to Say No
The 4-step framework with scripts for common situations.
Your First Week
Day-by-day checklist for your first 5 days as a manager.
Early reader feedback
"I wish I had this when I got promoted. Instead of Googling 'what do new managers do' every Sunday night, I would have just opened Week 3 and known exactly what to focus on."
"It's not inspirational fluff. It's a checklist. I opened it Monday morning and actually used it. That's more than I can say for the three management books on my shelf."
"The boss alignment worksheet alone saved me from a very awkward first month. I walked into that meeting prepared."
Is This For You?
This playbook is for you if:
- You were recently promoted to your first management role
- You're moving from individual contributor to team lead
- You want a clear structure instead of figuring it out alone
- You prefer "do this" over "think about this"
- You want something you can actually use, not just read
This is probably not for you if:
- You've been managing for 5+ years
- You want deep leadership theory
- You need a Notion template or app
- You prefer watching videos over doing exercises
Less Than a Business Lunch
Leadership coaching
Management courses
This playbook
Less than $4/week for 13 weeks. One payment. Yours forever.
Frequently Asked Questions
What format are the files in?
The playbook and worksheets are .docx files (Microsoft Word). They work in Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice, or any word processor. The reference cards are PDF — ready to print or view on screen.
Can I edit the files?
Yes — that's the whole point. The playbook has checkboxes to tick off, fill-in lines to write on, and reflection prompts. Type directly into the Word file, or print it out and write by hand.
Is this a course or a book?
Neither. It's a working document. Think of it as a guided journal for your first 90 days as a manager. You don't read it cover-to-cover — you use it week by week.
What if I'm already a few weeks into my new role?
Start wherever you are. If you're in Week 3, start at Week 3. The phases are designed to be flexible — you can always go back to earlier weeks for exercises you missed.
Do I get free updates?
Yes. If we update the playbook, you'll get the new version at no extra cost.
Is there a refund policy?
Due to the digital nature of the product, we don't offer refunds after download. But if you have any issues, email hello@firsttimemanagers.com and we'll make it right.
- 13-week editable playbook (.docx)
- 3 standalone worksheets (.docx)
- 6 quick reference cards (PDF)
- Works in Word, Google Docs, or print
- No subscriptions. No apps. Just files.
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