One of the frameworks I have returned to during this transition is Michael Watkins’ STARS model from The First 90 Days. STARS stands for Startup, Turnaround, Accelerated Growth, Realignment, and Sustaining Success. Watkins argues that the single most important thing a new leader can do early is correctly diagnose which situation she is in, because the right strategy in one context can be the wrong strategy in another.

In the association space, Startup is largely off the table at the organizational level. Established professional societies don’t arrive as blank slates. Individual programs may need to be built from scratch, but that is a program-level question, and rarely surfaces as an urgent priority in the first 90 days. That leaves four situations. For most association CEOs stepping into an existing organization, they will face either Turnaround, Accelerated Growth, Realignment, or Sustaining Success.

The situation you inherit should shape the report you write.

I know this from experience. Earlier in my career, I came into a turnaround. The organization was in genuine trouble, and the board knew it. My 90-day report named what was broken and listed actions required to fix the issues. The board was largely supportive. But the directness of the report carried costs. I lost some people along the way, including staff and volunteers who needed to be part of building the solution, not just recipients of it. The organization needed decisive action, and I provided it. What I underweighted was the need for co-creation that builds durable commitment.

I am not in a turnaround this time.

When the situation is Accelerated Growth, Realignment, or Sustaining Success, the 90-day report serves a different purpose. It still needs to articulate a vision and a direction of travel. But it also needs to leave space for the board, staff, and volunteer leadership to help shape how the organization gets there. The report is not a mandate. It is an opening bid in a longer conversation.

I am currently working through what that balance looks like in practice. There is a difference between presenting a proposed solution and presenting a process for how the group will work toward one. Both have their place. In a turnaround, you need more of the former. In the situations most association leaders actually face, you need more of the latter, and the skill is knowing how much of each, and when.

My 90-day report to the board will reflect that. It will name what I see and where I think we should go. It will also be clear about what I do not yet know and what I believe we need to figure out together.