--- title: "Leading Through Change: What Leaders Do in the First 90 Days | PPS International" description: "Leading through change, step by step: a 90-day plan for leaders, with short-term goals, change updates built into existing meetings and help for worried teams." image: https://www.ppsinternational.net/hubfs/pps-international/resources/images/leading-through-change-featured.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/articles/leading-through-change#main-content) [![PPS International Limited](https://www.ppsinternational.net/hubfs/raw_assets/public/pps-international/assets/images/logo.svg)](https://www.ppsinternational.net/) [Expertise](https://www.ppsinternational.net/expertise) [Leadership Development](https://www.ppsinternational.net/leadership-development) [Talent Development](https://www.ppsinternational.net/talent-development) [Communication & Influence](https://www.ppsinternational.net/communication-influence) [Change & Transition](https://www.ppsinternational.net/change-transition) [Sales & HR Effectiveness](https://www.ppsinternational.net/sales-hr-effectiveness) [Performance Support](https://www.ppsinternational.net/performance-support) [Implementation Support](https://www.ppsinternational.net/implementation-support) [Solutions](https://www.ppsinternational.net/solutions) [Assessments](https://www.ppsinternational.net/assessments) [Contract Training & Facilitation](https://www.ppsinternational.net/contract-training-facilitation) [Coaching Services](https://www.ppsinternational.net/coaching) [Instructional Design Services](https://www.ppsinternational.net/instructional-design) [Interaction Styles](https://www.ppsinternational.net/interaction-styles) [Training Administration](https://www.ppsinternational.net/training-administration) [Training Programs](https://www.ppsinternational.net/programs) [Shop](https://shop.ppsinternational.net/) [Resources](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources) [About](https://www.ppsinternational.net/about) [About PPS](https://www.ppsinternational.net/about) [Who We Serve](https://www.ppsinternational.net/who-we-serve) [Get in touch](https://www.ppsinternational.net/contact) Search the site Search Search the site Search Expertise [Explore all expertise](https://www.ppsinternational.net/expertise) [Leadership Development](https://www.ppsinternational.net/leadership-development) [Talent Development](https://www.ppsinternational.net/talent-development) [Communication & Influence](https://www.ppsinternational.net/communication-influence) [Change & Transition](https://www.ppsinternational.net/change-transition) [Sales & HR Effectiveness](https://www.ppsinternational.net/sales-hr-effectiveness) [Performance Support](https://www.ppsinternational.net/performance-support) [Implementation Support](https://www.ppsinternational.net/implementation-support) Solutions [Explore all solutions](https://www.ppsinternational.net/solutions) [Assessments](https://www.ppsinternational.net/assessments) [Contract Training & Facilitation](https://www.ppsinternational.net/contract-training-facilitation) [Coaching Services](https://www.ppsinternational.net/coaching) [Instructional Design Services](https://www.ppsinternational.net/instructional-design) [Interaction Styles](https://www.ppsinternational.net/interaction-styles) [Training Administration](https://www.ppsinternational.net/training-administration) [Training Programs](https://www.ppsinternational.net/programs) Explore [Resources](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources) [About PPS](https://www.ppsinternational.net/about) [Who We Serve](https://www.ppsinternational.net/who-we-serve) [Shop](https://shop.ppsinternational.net/) [Get in touch](https://www.ppsinternational.net/contact) Article [Change & Transition](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources?topic=change-transition) November 11, 2026 By [Kelly Fairbairn](https://www.ppsinternational.net/about/kelly-fairbairn) # Leading Through Change: What Leaders Do in the First 90 Days Leading through change means helping a team understand what is changing and why, keep the important work moving and settle into new ways of working. It is the leader's part of a change: the organization sets the direction and the plan, and leaders turn that plan into what it means for their own team this week, this month and this quarter. For more teams than ever, change is now a regular part of work. In the American Psychological Association's 2025 Work in America survey, the vast majority of workers said their employer had experienced change in the past year, and for more than a quarter of them the changes were significant or transformative. Leaders also tended to see those changes in a more positive light than frontline workers and individual contributors did \[1\]. The same survey found that workers satisfied with their relationship with their manager were far less likely to say things felt uncertain at their job right now (31% versus 66%) \[2\]. Clearly, the way a leader handles the first few months of a change shapes much of the employees' experience. This article is for managers and other leaders taking a team through a reorganization, a merger, a new system or a new strategy. If you are a talent development leader preparing a group of managers to lead change, the section "For talent development leaders: preparing managers to lead through change" covers what that involves, and our [change management consulting](https://www.ppsinternational.net/change-transition) page describes how PPS International Limited supports organizations through change. ## What leading through change means A change is usually initiated with a plan that includes a sponsor, a timeline, a communication calendar and training. This is the organization's side of the change. Our article on [developing a change management plan](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/articles/creating-productivity-in-the-face-of-change) covers change management planning, including where models such as Kotter's eight steps can fit into solutions. Leading through change is the leader's portion of responsibility. It is the way a leader manages conversations, priorities, goals and routines so that teams understand the change, adopt it and keep performing while it happens. A change plan and the leader's responsibility are interdependent. A good plan with leaders who stay silent may stall, and committed leaders without a plan may improvise in different directions according to their own styles and capabilities. In this article, we make the assumption that a change plan exists; we focus on what leaders do with that plan for success. ## How people move through a change Leading people through change starts with understanding how people experience it. In their classic work, William and Susan Bridges distinguish the change itself, which is external and can happen on a set date, from the transition people go through to come to terms with it \[3\]. In their model, people move through an ending, when they let go of the old way of working; a neutral zone, when the old way is gone and the new one does not yet feel comfortable; and a new beginning, when the new way starts to feel normal. People on the same team are often in different places at the same time, and some move back and forth as new decisions are made. Here are a few practices that help at each stage, according to their model: - *Endings:* Acknowledge what people are losing, even when the change is positive, and be clear about what is not changing. - *The neutral zone:* Expect confidence and productivity to dip for a while, keep people connected and give them short-term goals they can finish. - *New beginnings:* Recognize the first results achieved in the new way and connect them to the purpose of the change. Team members also differ in what they need to hear. Some want detail and a plan, while others want the big picture. Some want time to talk the change through with colleagues before moving on, and others focus on the task. Our article on [adapting to different communication styles](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/articles/developing-flexible-leaders) covers how leaders can meet each person where they are. ## Leading a team through change: a 90-day plan Most changes take longer than 90 days to become integrated into the organization, and larger ones such as mergers and system replacements can take years. The first 90 days from change launch are often where the habits form. The outline below shows how to lead through changes in three phases. The phases overlap in practice, and you may need to return to an earlier one as elements of the change get implemented. | Phase | What Leaders Do | Where It Happens | Cues It Is Working | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1: Explain and listen (days 1 to 30) | Explain what is changing, why and what is not changing; say what is still undecided; ask each person what concerns them most | A team meeting soon after the announcement; one-on-ones within the first two weeks | People can describe the change in their own words; questions come to you before they reach the rumor mill | | 2: Set short-term goals and adjust (days 31 to 60) | Agree on two or three small, actionable goals that show progress in the new way; remove obstacles; adjust as you learn | Staff meetings and touchbases, with the change as a standing item | Early goals are met; problems surface early; fewer workarounds of the old process | | 3: Build the new routine (days 61 to 90+) | Make the new way the default; recognize progress; review what still is not working and set the next goals | Business reviews and one-on-ones | The new process is used without reminders; conversations turn to results more than to the change itself | ## Set short-term goals, however small In the uncertain middle of a change, people need something they can finish. We recommend establishing short-term, highly actionable goals, however small: the first customer order handled in the new system, one report produced in the new format, the first meeting run under the new structure. Small goals give the team evidence that the new way works and give the leader early information about what does not. A few practices make short-term goals useful: - Choose goals the team can reach within two to four weeks. - Make each goal specific enough that everyone can tell when it is finished. - Connect each goal to the purpose of the change, so progress means something beyond the task. - Recognize goals that are met in the team's regular meetings, then agree on the next set. ## Build change updates into the meetings you already hold Depending upon its scale, a change may not need its own meeting series. We recommend incorporating reporting on the elements of the change into the meetings and communication cadences your team already has, such as touchbases, staff meetings and business reviews. Separate change meetings add to the load at the moment people have the least time, and they can make the change feel separate from the real work. | Meeting | What to Cover About the Change | Questions to Ask | | --- | --- | --- | | Touchbases and one-on-ones | How the change affects this person's work, priorities and goals; concerns since the last conversation | What is getting in the way? What do you need from me? What do you need from others? | | Staff meetings | Progress on short-term goals; decisions made since the last meeting; what is still open and when it will be decided | What have we learned? What should we stop doing? | | Business reviews | Results against the goals of the change; risks; support needed from other teams or senior leaders | Are we on track? What needs a decision, and from whom? | | Team channels and email | Short written updates that repeat key decisions, dates and where to find answers | Which questions keep coming up? | ## When you do not have the answers yet Leaders are often asked questions about a change before the answers exist. The most useful response is usually a clear account of what has been decided, what is still open and when the open questions are expected to be decided. A few practices help: - Keep a running list of the team's questions and the answers as they are clarified, where everyone can access it. - Take questions you cannot answer to someone who can, and come back with the answer or a date for it. - Avoid guessing. A confident answer that later proves wrong tends to cost more trust than "I do not know yet, and here is when I expect to." - Repeat the key messages more often than feels necessary, since people absorb them at different times. Our tool on [dealing with ambiguity](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/guides/tool-6-ways-to-deal-with-ambiguity) covers practices for making progress when information is limited. ## When people resist or worry Resistance is often both a need for information and a cue to issues. It can signal concern about workload, skills, fairness or job security, or a practical problem with the plan that the people closest to the work can see first. A few practices help leaders respond: - Talk with the person one to one before addressing concerns in a group. - Ask what specifically concerns them, and separate what you can influence from what you cannot. - Treat useful objections as input to the plan, and say so when they change something. - Be clear about what is expected while acknowledging the effort the change asks of people. Some of these conversations are difficult. Our video on [how to begin a difficult conversation](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/videos/how-to-begin-a-difficult-conversation) offers a way to open them. Our [quick reference guide on delivering difficult messages](https://shop.ppsinternational.net/products/delivering-difficult-news-quick-reference-guide-download) can help structure communication. ## Protect your team's capacity, and your own Change tends to add work before it removes any. Identify the two or three priorities that need to stay top of mind through the change, and agree on what can pause or stop to make room for new items. Watch for signs of overload, such as missed deadlines, withdrawal from discussion or shorter tempers, and acknowledge and address them early. When several changes land on the same team at once, the effects tend to compound. Leaders are going through the change too, often while absorbing their team's concerns. Our article on [taking the heat of leadership](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/articles/taking-the-heat-of-leadership) covers how leaders can sustain themselves under that kind of pressure. ## Common mistakes when leading through change - *Announcing the change and moving on:* The first message rarely answers the questions people have later. - *Promising what is not yet decided:* Reassurance that later proves wrong can undo the trust the leader is building. - *Adding meetings instead of using existing ones:* The extra load tends to fall on the people with the least time to spare. - *Skipping one-on-ones when they are most needed:* Concerns that are not raised privately often surface later as resistance. - *Treating quiet as acceptance:* Some team members process change privately and may need to be invited to speak. - *Waiting for the whole change to land before recognizing progress:* Small wins along the way keep people engaged through the neutral zone. ## For talent development leaders: preparing managers to lead through change Managers carry most changes to their teams. Gallup finds that managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement scores across business units \[4\], so the way managers lead a change tends to show up directly in how teams respond. Yet managers often hear about a change at the same time as their teams and are expected to explain it the same day. A few cues suggest a manager population needs support: - Managers learn about changes at the same time as their teams. - Teams hear about decisions through rumor before their manager explains them. - Managers are still saying they know no more than their teams several weeks into a change. - Engagement or productivity dips after a reorganization or system launch and does not recover. - Updates on the change happen only in all-hands meetings and company-wide emails. Leading through change training tends to work best when it is tied to a real change and timed to it. Organizations that prepare managers well often: - Brief managers before announcements, with talking points, the questions people are likely to ask and a route for getting answers they do not have. - Give managers short practice sessions on change conversations, including concern and resistance. - Build change updates into the meeting cadences managers already run, with a simple agenda for each. - Bring managers together in peer groups during the change to share what is working. - Track progress with short pulse surveys and adoption measures, and follow up where results lag. For an acquisition that doubled a client's revenue and headcount, PPS built a set of agendas and tools managers used to facilitate meetings before, during and after the acquisition, covering engagement check-ins, common ways of working, team operating agreements, knowledge integration and team alignment. When 5,000 leaders in one defense subcontractor organization had to lead a remote and hybrid workforce for the first time, the support was a remote leadership curriculum of microlearning videos and infographics they could use as the need arose. For several global organizations digitally transforming their organizations, we created a digital accelerator program to introduce key digital terms and topics to leaders and others. Alongside these programs, we have curated learning resources for digital topics and created bespoke, business-driven [experiential application learning for Gen AI](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/case-studies/building-innovation-readiness-with-a-gen-ai-playground-a-case-study). To date, thousands of leaders have participated in one or more of these programs with clients in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, manufacturing and professional services firms. PPS supports organizations through change with [change management consulting](https://www.ppsinternational.net/change-transition) and programs such as [*Managing Uncertainty*](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/programs/managing-uncertainty), which introduces a change cycle and strategies for leading when the answers are not yet clear, [*Building Resiliency*](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/programs/building-resiliency) and [*Having Tough Conversations*](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/programs/having-tough-conversations). ## Frequently asked questions ### What does it mean to lead through change? Leading through change means helping a team understand a change, adopt it and keep performing while it happens. In practice that involves explaining what is changing and why, listening to concerns, setting short-term goals in the new way of working and building updates on the change into the team's regular meetings. ### What should a leader do in the first 30 days of a change? In the first 30 days of a change, a leader should explain the change, including what is not changing and what is still undecided, and meet with each team member to hear their concerns. Agree on where updates will appear in the meetings the team already holds, and start an accessible list of questions and answers. ### How do you lead a team through a change you disagree with? If you disagree with a change but still need to lead people through it, raise your concerns with the people who made the decision, through the right channel and before the change is announced if possible. Once the decision is final, commit to leading it. Making the mental shift to being an advocate for the change, even when you have doubts, isn't easy. It can be helpful to think of your role as a leader rather than an individual in these situations. Your role requires you to be an advocate for the organization. Teams tend to notice when a leader is only going through the motions, and that uncertainty can spread. You can acknowledge that the change is difficult without undermining it. ### How long does it take a team to adjust to a change? It depends on the size of the change and how much else is changing at the same time. A new process may settle within a few weeks, while a reorganization, merger or system replacement often takes several months to a year or more. The first 90 days set the habits that shape the rest, so it helps to watch the cues in the phased plan above instead of a fixed date. ### What is the difference between change leadership and change management? Change management is the structured process for planning and carrying out a change: the sponsor, the plan, the communication calendar and the training. Change leadership is the human side, meaning the behaviors leaders use to help people through the change. Successful changes tend to need both. ## Where to start Change is a constant, so consider adding a section to your standing meetings on "changes and adjustments." This way, you already know where updates happen. If you are implementing a change, draft two or three short-term goals for the first month. If you are preparing a group of managers, start with the briefing they will need before the announcement: what is changing, what is not, the questions their teams are likely to ask and where to take the ones they cannot answer. ## References 1. American Psychological Association (2025). The experience of working in America during times of change: 2025 Work in America Survey. https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/work-in-america/2025/full-report-working-times-change 2. American Psychological Association (2025). Majority of U.S. workers say job insecurity has significant impact on their stress: highlights from the 2025 Work in America Survey. https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/work-in-america/2025 3. Bridges, W. and Bridges, S. (2017). Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change (4th ed.). Hachette Books. 4. Beck, R. and Harter, J. (2015). Managers account for 70% of variance in employee engagement. Gallup Business Journal. https://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/182792/managers-account-variance-employee-engagement.aspx [Articles](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources?type=articles) [Change & Transition](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources?topic=change-transition) Continue learning ## Recent Resources ### [![](https://www.ppsinternational.net/hubfs/pps-international/resources/images/employee-skills-assessment-featured.jpg) Article Employee Skills Assessment: How Much Weight to Give Self-Assessments](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/articles/employee-skills-assessment) ### [![](https://www.ppsinternational.net/hubfs/pps-international/resources/images/pps-resource-e0ca14c82b11d27f2a47.jpg) Article Keeping Leadership Development Relevant: How Global Companies Can Evolve Programs Over Time](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/articles/keeping-leadership-development-relevant) ### [![](https://www.ppsinternational.net/hubfs/pps-international/resources/images/pps-resource-ce1e0cc4646526876f56.jpg) Article Influencing Without Authority: How Project Leaders Gain Commitment](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/articles/influence) ### [![](https://www.ppsinternational.net/hubfs/pps-international/resources/images/pps-resource-a0d85894924c99644293.png) Article How to Plan Sales Leadership Development](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/articles/how-to-plan-sales-leadership-development) ### [![](https://www.ppsinternational.net/hubfs/pps-international/resources/images/pps-resource-041bfadd8ff088cc49bd.jpg) Article Group Coaching at Scale: Making Development More Accessible](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/articles/coaching-at-scale-when-group-coaching-makes-development-more-accessible) ### [![](https://www.ppsinternational.net/hubfs/pps-international/resources/images/pps-resource-090c6ec1b4a7ba4d8f28.jpg) Video Hybrid Blended Learning: Designing Training That Works](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/videos/designing-training-that-works-for-hybrid-participant-groups) ## We’re ready for you. We enjoy discussing possibilities and approaches, so please reach out! Contact PPS International Limited today to explore how we can support your talent development initiatives. [![PPS International Limited](https://www.ppsinternational.net/hubfs/raw_assets/public/pps-international/assets/images/footer-logo.svg)](https://www.ppsinternational.net/) PPS International Limited is a trusted learning and development partner empowering teams of all sizes with leadership, communication, influence, sales and professional skills training that drives meaningful business results. ## Stay connected Get practical learning and development insights from PPS. ## Contact [+1 864-962-6789](tel:+18649626789) [info@PPS-SyNetAmericas.net](mailto:info@PPS-SyNetAmericas.net) ## Expertise - [Leadership Development](https://www.ppsinternational.net/leadership-development) - [Talent Development](https://www.ppsinternational.net/talent-development) - [Communication & Influence](https://www.ppsinternational.net/communication-influence) - [Change & Transition](https://www.ppsinternational.net/change-transition) - [Sales & HR Effectiveness](https://www.ppsinternational.net/sales-hr-effectiveness) - [Performance Support](https://www.ppsinternational.net/performance-support) - [Implementation Support](https://www.ppsinternational.net/implementation-support) ## [Resources](https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources) ## About - [About PPS](https://www.ppsinternational.net/about) - [Who We Serve](https://www.ppsinternational.net/who-we-serve) ## Solutions - [Assessments](https://www.ppsinternational.net/assessments) - [Contract Training & Facilitation](https://www.ppsinternational.net/contract-training-facilitation) - [Coaching Services](https://www.ppsinternational.net/coaching) - [Instructional Design Services](https://www.ppsinternational.net/instructional-design) - [Interaction Styles](https://www.ppsinternational.net/interaction-styles) - [Training Administration](https://www.ppsinternational.net/training-administration) - [Training Programs](https://www.ppsinternational.net/programs) ## [Shop](https://shop.ppsinternational.net/) © 2026 PPS International Limited. All rights reserved. [Privacy & Legal](https://www.ppsinternational.net/privacy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Kelly Fairbairn" }, "dateModified" : "2026-11-11T19:37:33Z", "datePublished" : "2026-11-11T19:37:33Z", "description" : "Leading through change, step by step: a 90-day plan for leaders, with short-term goals, change updates built into existing meetings and help for worried teams.", "headline" : "Leading Through Change: What Leaders Do in the First 90 Days", "image" : [ "https://51770148.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/51770148/pps-international/resources/images/leading-through-change-featured.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.ppsinternational.net/resources/articles/leading-through-change", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://www.ppsinternational.net/#organization", "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "//51770148.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/51770148/raw_assets/public/pps-international/assets/images/footer-logo.svg" }, "name" : "PPS International Limited" } } ```