Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Harvard Business Review Press (2013), Edition: Upd Exp, Hardcover, 304 pages
Description
The world's most trusted guide for leaders in transition. Transitions are a critical time for leaders. In fact, most agree that moving into a new role is the biggest challenge a manager will face. While transitions offer a chance to start fresh and make needed changes in an organization, they also place leaders in a position of acute vulnerability. Missteps made during the crucial first three months in a new role can jeopardize or even derail your success. In this updated and expanded version of the international bestseller The First 90 Days, Michael D. Watkins offers proven strategies for conquering the challenges of transitions-no matter where you are in your career. Watkins, a noted expert on leadership transitions and adviser to senior leaders in all types of organizations, also addresses today's increasingly demanding professional landscape, where managers face not only more frequent transitions but also steeper expectations once they step into their new jobs. By walking you through every aspect of the transition scenario, Watkins identifies the most common pitfalls new leaders encounter and provides the tools and strategies you need to avoid them. You'll learn how to secure critical early wins, an important first step in establishing yourself in your new role. Each chapter also includes checklists, practical tools, and self-assessments to help you assimilate key lessons and apply them to your own situation. Whether you're starting a new job, being promoted from within, embarking on an overseas assignment, or being tapped as CEO, how you manage your transition will determine whether you succeed or fail. Use this audiobook as your trusted guide.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member telos
A must For every candidate with first managerial experience. Recommended. Lot of practical tips.
LibraryThing member NellieMc
Like all books on business, there's a lot that doesn't make sense, but there are still some good nuggets here. For anyone changing jobs into a management position, this is worth the time to read.
LibraryThing member richardcjennings
Kind of skimmed it, then passed it along to someone who recently got hired into a new job. Gives some good strategies on what to try to accomplish during your first 90 days.
LibraryThing member lmm161
This was a great book for helpful hints on how to survive the first 30 months of a new position, be it at a new company or changing rolls at the same one.
LibraryThing member justindtapp
This is a really useful book filled with sage advice for anyone assuming a leadership position, particularly as a former outsider to the organization. It's filled with reminders that you don't walk in with "the answer," that instead winning the trust and respect of your cohorts is a learning
Here's a summary of the points I gleaned:
- Establish your integrity in first 30 days.
- Learn all you can about the organization, put on your "historian" hat.
- Don't suggest changes without examining what has been done previously.
- Silence is not accession.
- Meet with everyone in the organization to evaluate their expectations. Ask them what they think you should focus on.
- Ask same questions of all so no one treated different and you have a cross-section.
- Look for "early wins," low-hanging fruit of improvements you can make or other things to boost morale.
Dealing with your boss in the first 30 days:
- Be proactive, assume it's on your shoulders to build the relationship and get the support you need.
- Schedule meetings to discuss expectations, evaluations, and personal development.
- Figure out what would give your boss "early wins." Make his priorities your priorities.
- Be proactive in doing things that will allow your boss to hear from people he trusts that you're a good worker.
- Don't bring your boss bad news early, at least without bringing good news too.
- Don't assume he will change. He has a style, foibles, accept them and work around then and move on. You can learn a lot from a bad boss, and you will likely have many.
- Examine how others relate to your boss and how he responds.
Strategy
- Begin figuring out who you need to move off your team immediately, whose roles need to change, and who you need to evaluate further.
- Think strategically. After your first 90 days you should be able to present a plan that is actionable.
- Evaluate the vision of the organization, its values, and use SWOT analysis.
Ask yourself feedback questions every week.
- What isn't going well. Why? What can you change?
- What are you least happy about. What can you change about it?
- What meeting troubled you the most? ""
- What conflict needs to be most resolved? ""
Family also has to be considered. How is your new role and time commitment affecting your family? Was the move worth it?
The author doesn't state it like this, but focus on doing what's best next.
I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5. I highly recommend it.
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process that you should begin with great intensity. The first half of the book relates directly to someone who is assuming a management role, the next quarter of the book is about what to do as a new employee serving under a boss or bosses (perhaps as a mid-level manager). The last bit of the book gives a brief introduction to strategic thinking and the book concludes with questions to ask yourself (and your family) in evaluating your transition. It is applicable to any firm, church, non-profit, and even (mostly) the government.Here's a summary of the points I gleaned:
- Establish your integrity in first 30 days.
- Learn all you can about the organization, put on your "historian" hat.
- Don't suggest changes without examining what has been done previously.
- Silence is not accession.
- Meet with everyone in the organization to evaluate their expectations. Ask them what they think you should focus on.
- Ask same questions of all so no one treated different and you have a cross-section.
- Look for "early wins," low-hanging fruit of improvements you can make or other things to boost morale.
Dealing with your boss in the first 30 days:
- Be proactive, assume it's on your shoulders to build the relationship and get the support you need.
- Schedule meetings to discuss expectations, evaluations, and personal development.
- Figure out what would give your boss "early wins." Make his priorities your priorities.
- Be proactive in doing things that will allow your boss to hear from people he trusts that you're a good worker.
- Don't bring your boss bad news early, at least without bringing good news too.
- Don't assume he will change. He has a style, foibles, accept them and work around then and move on. You can learn a lot from a bad boss, and you will likely have many.
- Examine how others relate to your boss and how he responds.
Strategy
- Begin figuring out who you need to move off your team immediately, whose roles need to change, and who you need to evaluate further.
- Think strategically. After your first 90 days you should be able to present a plan that is actionable.
- Evaluate the vision of the organization, its values, and use SWOT analysis.
Ask yourself feedback questions every week.
- What isn't going well. Why? What can you change?
- What are you least happy about. What can you change about it?
- What meeting troubled you the most? ""
- What conflict needs to be most resolved? ""
Family also has to be considered. How is your new role and time commitment affecting your family? Was the move worth it?
The author doesn't state it like this, but focus on doing what's best next.
I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5. I highly recommend it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Meggo
I was given this book on day 80 of my new job, which meant that I had to hope like hell that I had not, in fact, already screwed up the first 80 days of my first 90. Full of generally practical advice, it is perhaps not the most innovative or frame-breaking business book I have ever read, but it is
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a useful read for anyone starting a new venture. Show Less
LibraryThing member Dilip-Kumar
What should a person taking up a senior management position do in the first few months to get up to steam and ensure success and effectiveness during the rest of the tenure? This book lays out a systematic approach to this question. While not everyone will be able to carry out all the steps in a
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systematic manner in all environments, the book still affords countless useful guidelines for the rookie top executive to be of value in all cultures. Show Less
LibraryThing member LDVoorberg
Lacking in insightful concrete examples that are nuanced (of course the new manager who comes in with a heavy hand is going to meet resistance!). There are some good general reminders or tips for awareness, to bring items to the forefront before you transition that were helpful. Overall, though,
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the book feels like it was quickly churned out or not written by a professional writer. Many bullet point lists are given in negative form, like the "pitalls to avoid" that begin most chapters. The book would be stronger if these were written in positive language "do these things". The graphics and tables are exceptionally simplistic in content and structure. I heard there is an updated version of the book, so maybe these mistakes have been improved. And with most self-help, it is fluffed up to be book length when it could have been much shorter and pithier. It is a heads up kind of reminder more than an innovative, mind-blowing treatise. Basically it says have a 90 day goal to be on track with your integration into your new role. Soak up all the info you can and make as many positive relationships as you can. Build credibility and do great work. The end. Show Less
LibraryThing member rynk
"No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy." Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke was telling us that tactical results dictate strategy, and that's worth remembering in a new job. No amount of research into your new company will keep you from at some point wondering what the heck you got
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into. In my first 90 days at another new job, Michael Watkins' onboarding framework was most helpful in working through these course corrections. What seems at first like a startup business can instead present a growth or turnaround scenario--scaling up or scaling down--each needing a different approach. The revelation here was the advice to "accelerate everyone." Your transition is your new co-workers' transition, too. An outsider perspective helps you spot change afoot, and make it work. Show Less
LibraryThing member driscoll42
I read this before starting a new job, and overall found it useful. While most of the comments in the book are not revolutionary, it is useful to force yourself to read through them and think. Overall the book wants you to take away from it that you should start a new job learning the current
I have two criticisms for this book.
1. It is very much targeted at the Senior Manager/Executive level. For someone like me, coming in as a lead of a small team, the advice is not... that useful. I can't affect company wide change easily. There are far more lower/middle managers than executives and frankly the advice at that level is more useful. But everyone likes to think they'll be senior management one day so I understand why they'd target that.
2. The book really needs a summarized checklist. The advice is spread throughout the whole book, and a list at the end of no more than a sentence for each task/thing you should do would help organize the book. I kind of made one which I'll list below, but I know I missed some things.
* Immediately meet with your boss to set expectations for your new role
* Set up regular meetings with your boss if they do not to check in
* Setup meetings with your direct reports, boss(es), peers, and useful individuals on other teams to learn from them and get their thoughts on the company, what you should know, about their work, and build relationships
* Don't start making changes right away, learn the existing structures of the company and build support before you try to make changes
* Identify early wins which contribute to your long term goals, though really that means your *bosses* long term goals
Really the book is mostly expanding on those.
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culture, politics, procedures before trying to implement any change, and that it's on you to manage your relationship with your boss and direct reports, and that it's critical to think laterally, talking to people on different teams not just your own.I have two criticisms for this book.
1. It is very much targeted at the Senior Manager/Executive level. For someone like me, coming in as a lead of a small team, the advice is not... that useful. I can't affect company wide change easily. There are far more lower/middle managers than executives and frankly the advice at that level is more useful. But everyone likes to think they'll be senior management one day so I understand why they'd target that.
2. The book really needs a summarized checklist. The advice is spread throughout the whole book, and a list at the end of no more than a sentence for each task/thing you should do would help organize the book. I kind of made one which I'll list below, but I know I missed some things.
* Immediately meet with your boss to set expectations for your new role
* Set up regular meetings with your boss if they do not to check in
* Setup meetings with your direct reports, boss(es), peers, and useful individuals on other teams to learn from them and get their thoughts on the company, what you should know, about their work, and build relationships
* Don't start making changes right away, learn the existing structures of the company and build support before you try to make changes
* Identify early wins which contribute to your long term goals, though really that means your *bosses* long term goals
Really the book is mostly expanding on those.
Show Less
LibraryThing member BizCoach
I guess I'm reading an old version (2003) It's been updated in 2013
Aimed at managers in larger companies.
Major Theme
Critical success strategies for new leaders at all levels. Talks about lack of transition support despite how many leaders move into a new job in US corporations.
Success (or failure)
Momentum in the 1st 90 days is important. You want to start virtuous cycles (not vicious cycles). It usually takes 6 months before a new leader is paying their way (3 months of deficit and 3 months climbing out of the hole). A good start can shorten that time.
Summary
Chpt 1 - Promote Yourself
Meaning make sure you've mentally moved into the new position. Make sure you're ready to let go of some strengths that may not be appropriate. Check in w/ old mentors & advisors etc. Plan the transition w/ your existing boss and watch out for saboteurs.
Good chart on self-examining what kinds of problems you like and don't like.
Chpt 2 - Accelerate Your Learning
Lots of good ways to get the lay of the land in your new place. People to check in with, lots of good questions to ask.
Chpt 3 - Match Strategy to Situation
Four major types of situations a new leader has to confront.
• Startup - focus energy on more doing / more offense
• Turnaround - focus energy on doing / defense
• Realignment - focus energy on learning / offense
• Sustaining Success - focus energy on learning / defense
Aimed at managers in larger companies.
Major Theme
Critical success strategies for new leaders at all levels. Talks about lack of transition support despite how many leaders move into a new job in US corporations.
Success (or failure)
Show More
in a new role is a combo of the person and the situation. There are several different situations for transitions but there are patterns. It's not like each one is unique.Momentum in the 1st 90 days is important. You want to start virtuous cycles (not vicious cycles). It usually takes 6 months before a new leader is paying their way (3 months of deficit and 3 months climbing out of the hole). A good start can shorten that time.
Summary
Chpt 1 - Promote Yourself
Meaning make sure you've mentally moved into the new position. Make sure you're ready to let go of some strengths that may not be appropriate. Check in w/ old mentors & advisors etc. Plan the transition w/ your existing boss and watch out for saboteurs.
Good chart on self-examining what kinds of problems you like and don't like.
Chpt 2 - Accelerate Your Learning
Lots of good ways to get the lay of the land in your new place. People to check in with, lots of good questions to ask.
Chpt 3 - Match Strategy to Situation
Four major types of situations a new leader has to confront.
• Startup - focus energy on more doing / more offense
• Turnaround - focus energy on doing / defense
• Realignment - focus energy on learning / offense
• Sustaining Success - focus energy on learning / defense
Show Less
LibraryThing member MarkLacy
The author describes a small set of particular kinds of situations that a new leader might find themselves in, and then talks about how to make a transition in that situation. Unfortunately, none of his small set of situations seemed to apply to me. I had to force myself to read to the end, and
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didn't get as much out of it as I had hoped. Show Less
LibraryThing member scottjpearson
Starting any new job is tough, and the pressure cooker is even hotter if the job involves leadership of some sort. There’s simply so much history and dynamics that the new leader is unaware of and so many new difficulties that have not been surmounted. Yet leaders are responsible for lots, and
Several of Watkins’ suggestions stand out in my mind. First, aim for early successes, no matter how small, in order to gain credibility. Second, plan out the first 90 days and stick to the plan. Third, organizations can have employees explicitly focused towards leadership transitions to smooth the waters. Finally, Watkins provides several conceptual buckets to help the new leader understand the company’s and new position’s main challenge.
This book certainly addresses an important issue in an original, novel way. It’s geared specifically towards senior leadership (leaders of leaders), where much is at stake. It does not significantly address lower levels of the organization, like managers and lower-level leaders. Likely, this is because much less is at stake. An opportunity is nonetheless missed at broadening the potential audience of this book. By focusing on the highest levels of leadership, more general job transitions are not really addressed in this work. That’s a definite shortcoming.
For its niche – executive-level enterprise leadership – this book seems to hit the nail on the head. Nonetheless, it seems to avoid other opportunities to generalize its insights. It definitely gave me a thing or two to think about, and its analytical power stands out. I just wish that it hit more than the C-suite.
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their actions can impact how hundreds of thousands of dollars – if not millions – are spent. How can we improve the chances of success? This book offers practical ways organizations can help their leaders achieve early and lasting success at their new roles.Several of Watkins’ suggestions stand out in my mind. First, aim for early successes, no matter how small, in order to gain credibility. Second, plan out the first 90 days and stick to the plan. Third, organizations can have employees explicitly focused towards leadership transitions to smooth the waters. Finally, Watkins provides several conceptual buckets to help the new leader understand the company’s and new position’s main challenge.
This book certainly addresses an important issue in an original, novel way. It’s geared specifically towards senior leadership (leaders of leaders), where much is at stake. It does not significantly address lower levels of the organization, like managers and lower-level leaders. Likely, this is because much less is at stake. An opportunity is nonetheless missed at broadening the potential audience of this book. By focusing on the highest levels of leadership, more general job transitions are not really addressed in this work. That’s a definite shortcoming.
For its niche – executive-level enterprise leadership – this book seems to hit the nail on the head. Nonetheless, it seems to avoid other opportunities to generalize its insights. It definitely gave me a thing or two to think about, and its analytical power stands out. I just wish that it hit more than the C-suite.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jonerthon
A business self-help-type book that essentially does what the title states. Since I moved across the country and started a job right at the beginning of this quarter, it was a timely reminder of how to adapt to a new workplace. Many of the recommendations are pretty logically knowable if you've
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changed jobs before, but it can be a helpful primer for young people starting careers and those who have been away for a while. That said, the author had a focus on people who manage teams and may be joining C-suites, so not everything is exactly adaptable to the audience I think is best suited for this title. Show Less
Language
Physical description
304 p.; 8.59 inches
ISBN
9781422188613
Other editions
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