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The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels (精装)
by Michael Watkins
| Category:
Leadership, Management |
| Market price: ¥ 308.00
MSL price:
¥ 238.00
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| Stock:
In Stock |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
A solid, well-written transition guide for new leaders with a practical overview and insightful perspectives. |
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AllReviews |
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Michael Erisman (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-31 00:00>
The premise and content of this book is what to do in the critical first 90 days in a new assignment or a new position. While the book covers a wide variety of concepts, there are few which go into great detail. However, those that are covered are done so in manner that still is a valuable read for anyone changing jobs or roles.
In my opinion one of the richest subjects to address, is also the one covered in the least detail here - culture. One of the most challenging and difficult issues to understand and respond to are the unstated, yet very powerful, forces at work which enable or hinder a new employee's organizational success. Any manager in a new role needs to quickly understand the do's and don'ts so they can be more effective. I wish the book had gone into far more detail on this subject.
That said, the sections on how to ask the right questions, assess your new team, and negotiate success with your boss are all great. The author depicts a STaRS model for determining the situation a new leader may face. The four types of business situations are "Sustaining Success", "Turnaround", "Realignment" and "Start-Up". The book goes into each situation and the different approaches required in each setting. (Page 63)
I found the section on "Build Your Team" to be quite insightful. Several tips are included that will be very useful for anyone in the position of assessing their new team. In particular are several questions that can be asked, and some great insights into non-verbal behaviors and other clues that will provide much needed information to lead and coach through the transition. (Page 167).
I recommend this book for anyone looking to put together a quick on-boarding program for new managers, or who is going through a transition themselves. Many good ideas and a great overview of the areas a new leader needs to be aware of to make a successful transition. |
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Bill Godfrey (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-31 00:00>
The book is structured on the proposition that the actions of a leader or manager in a new position during their first 90 days largely determines their ultimate success or failure. Further, a manager 'consumes value' in the early days while he or she is getting established, before being able to 'create value'. The shorter this period is, the better for both the company and the individual.
The author bases his case on five core propositions and ten success strategies (these are reflected in the chapter titles. The core propositions are:
1. The root causes of transition failure always lie in a pernicious interaction between the situation, with its opportunities and pitfalls, and the individual, with his or her strengths and vulnerabilities. (Transition failures happen when new leaders either misunderstand the essential demands of the situation or lack the skill and flexibility to adapt to them.)
2. There are systematic methods that leaders can employ to both lessen the likelihood of failure and reach the break-even point faster. (Every situation is unique, but the fundamentals of appropriate strategies are common.)
3. The overriding goal in a transition is to build momentum by creating virtuous cycles that build credibility and by avoiding getting caught in vicious cycles that damage credibility.
4. Transitions are a crucible for leadership development and should be managed accordingly. (Transition acceleration skills should be taught, so that talented people do not drown unnecessarily.)
5. Successful adoption of a standard framework for accelerating transitions can yield big returns for organizations. (A very large number of transitions occur each year in large organizations. The scope for improved productivity and results from better attention to improved transitions is enormous.)
The book develops these propositions by working through the success strategies in detail.
While the advice is valuable and well-structured, it is rather too much of a catalogue focusing on a series of individual strategies to follow, where the situation requires a systemic approach. In consequence, I question whether it is complete. For example, there is little direct discussion of a key issue for leaders in organisations which focus on the short term bottom line: a new entrant at every level very often faces the delayed unintended consequences of a predecessor's actions designed to produce a lift 'this quarter'. These longer term consequences may be deep-seated, potentially devastating - and well hidden. It could be argued that failure to identify and deal with these in time is the major underlying cause of perceived failure of new managers.
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Peter Leerskov (MSL quote), Denmark
<2007-01-31 00:00>
This book is not just for managers at the executive level. It's also for you and me. It's for functional managers, project managers, and supervisors. The book targets new leaders at all levels that are making the transition from one rung of the ladder to the next.
If you have just been promoted to a new leadership position (or expect to be soon), then this book is for you.
The book outlines ten strategies that will shorten the time it takes you to reach what Watkins calls the breakeven point: the point at which your organization needs you as much as you need the job. Here they are... the ten strategies:
1. PROMOTE YOURSELF. Make a mental break from your old job. Prepare to take charge in the new one. Don't assume that what has made you successful so far will continue to do so. The dangers of sticking with what you know, working hard at doing it, and failing miserably are very real.
2. ACCELERATE YOUR LEARNING. Climb the learning curve as fast as you can in your new organization. Understand markets, products, technologies, systems, and structures, as well as its culture and politics. It feels like drinking from a fire hose. So you have to be systematic and focused about deciding what you need to learn.
3. MATCH STRATEGY TO SITUATION. There are no universal rules for success in transitions. You need to diagnose the business situation accurately and clarify its challenges and opportunities. The author identifies four very different situations: launching a start-up, leading a turnaround, devising a realignment, and sustaining a high-performing unit. You need to know what your unique situation looks like before you develop your action plan.
4. SECURE EARLY WINS. Early victories build your credibility and create momentum. They create virtuous cycles that leverage organizational energy. In the first few weeks, you need to identify opportunities to build personal credibility. In the first 90 days, you need to identify ways to create value and improve business results.
5. NEGOTIATE SUCCESS. You need to figure out how to build a productive working relationship with your new boss and manage his or her expectations. No other relationship is more important. This means having a series of critical talks about the situation, expectations, style, resources, and your personal development. Crucially, it means developing and gaining consensus on your 90-day plan.
6. ACHIEVE ALIGNMENT. The higher you rise in an organization, the more you have to play the role of organizational architect. This means figuring out whether the organization's strategy is sound, bringing its structure into alignment with its strategy, and developing the systems and skills bases necessary to realize strategic intent.
7. BUILD YOUR TEAM. If you are inheriting a team, you will need to evaluate its members. Perhaps you need to restructure it to better meet demands of the situation. Your willingness to make tough early personnel calls and your capacity to select the right people for the right positions are among the most important drivers of success during your transition.
8. CREATE COALITIONS. Your success will depend on your ability to influence people outside your direct line of control. Supportive alliances, both internal and external, will be necessary to achieve your goals.
9. KEEP YOUR BALANCE. The risks of losing perspective, getting isolated, and making bad calls are ever present during transitions. The right advice-and-counsel network is an indispensable resource
10. EXPEDITE EVERYONE. Finally, you need to help everyone else - direct reports, bosses, and peers - accelerate their own transitions. The quicker you can get your new direct reports up to speed, the more you will help your own performance.
This book is not only relevant on the individual level. This transition process for new managers happens so often that it should be handled with more professionalism by (big) organizations. Whereas we as managers try to work actively with introduction programmes and training for new employees, then many managers must face their transition challenge alone. It shouldn't be like that. The "sink or swim" approach should be doomed. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-31 00:00>
I am the CEO of a successful holding company involved in diversification. I was drawn to this book because I was looking for a roadmap for leaders to jump start their success. This wonderful book provides the necessary critical strategies. I recommend that leaders on all levels read this book and another, Optimal Thinking: How To Be Your Best Self to understand the shortcomings of suboptimal thinking in corporate culture and to create a team of optimizers who optimize every situation. Five stars for each of these books! |
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