The First 90 Days

The First 90 Days Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels AUTHOR: Michael Watkins PUBLISHER: Harvard Business School Publishing DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2003 NUMBER OF PAGES: 208 pages Book pic

You have 90 days to prove that you are an asset to the company upon entering a new job or getting promoted to a higher position within the same organization.
With such a short span of time to “prove your worth,” time becomes a high-priced commodity.
A leader’s transition causes the so-called “ripple effect.”
THE BIG IDEA

Chapter 1 – Promote Yourself
Promoting yourself in no way means grandstanding or advertising.
“ Let it all sink in.”
Transition of authority also means transition of habits and responsibilities.
These are ways to promote yourself:
1. Establish a clear breakpoint.
2. Hit the ground running.
3. Assess your vulnerabilities.
4. Watch out for strengths.
5. Relearn how to learn.
6. Rework your network.
7. Watch out for people who want to hold you back.

All leaders feel the need for an action imperative.
What do you want and need to know?
One of the hardest things you’ll have to learn about as a leader is the organizational culture.
Lack of learning may seem unimportant, but must be kept to a minimum to form better decisions and possess better control of the job.
Change is a cycle. Adapt or alter to cultures you will discover.
Chapter 2 – Accelerate Your Learning

There are Four Major Situations for any organization:
1. Start-up
Require to build and enforce systems from scratch.
Turn-around
Situations that require a quick mind and fast action.
Realignments
Call for critical thinking and convincing people that something will go wrong.
Sustaining Success
Call for the ability to fix small problems before they morph into big ones.
Chapter 3 – Match Strategy to Situation

The approach or strategy you’ll employ to succeed differs from situation to situation.
Different situations have different problems and opportunities.
Let the situation be your guide.
Chapter 3 – Match Strategy to Situation

Securing an early win is similar to the action imperative with the exception that the action follows in the wake of an educated thought when securing an early win.
Early wins are processes or systems you can change rapidly and improve outright.
What must you prioritize when deciding what to change early into your transition?
Carefully analyze your organization’s situation.
Get your people to bring about the changes.
Chapter 4 – Secure Early Wins

It is impossible to succeed at everything you set out to do and accomplish all your goals within a 90-day period.
Negotiating success is all about communicating with your boss in a way that sets your guidelines and allows you flexibility for reaching your goals.
Communicating effectively with your boss to negotiate success will often take the form of 5 dialogues – the situation conversation, the expectations conversation , the style conversation, the resources conversation, and the personal development conversation .
Chapter 5 – Negotiate Success

Five Dialogues:
The Situation Conversation
Aims to reach a unanimous agreement about the organization’s situation and where it should go.
The Expectations Conversation
Include sharing both you and your boss’s expectations about the job on hand.
The Style Conversation
Different leaders have different ways of achieving success so find out what your boss’ style is and try to align yourself with it.

4. The Resources Conversation
The resources you will need and ask for must be in tune with the organization’s situation.
5. The Personal Development Conversation
Ask your boss for feedback on issues you feel will affect your personal development.

The higher up the corporate ladder you are, the bigger your responsibility is to improve the organization’s over-all structure.
To achieve goals, all the systems and units in the organization must be working together in a concerted effort.
Five elements must be in sync for an organization to work - strategy, structure, systems, skills and culture .
All elements must undergo change, all at the same time.
Chapter 6 – Achieve Alignment

When you assume a position of leadership a team is already in place for you to direct.
To begin assessing your team, create a list of criteria you’ll want to consider when you evaluate your direct reports.
Come up with a plan to restructure your team.
Review how you want your team to work.
Establish a way to measure and reward both individual and group performance.
Chapter 7 – Build Your Team

Influence provides a nest-egg of opportunity.
Forming new relationships is important to strengthen the system of support.
Learn what leverage may be used for convincing power and what competing forces may have to offer.
Hone your ability to influence others and re-shape your subordinates’ perceptions of choice.
Chapter 8 – Create Coalitions

Keep a balance between personal and professional life is an essential part of becoming a successful leader.
Three pillars to form a solid foundation for balance:
Adopting Success Strategies
- Seeing each strategy yield positive results, you will feel more energy and confidence to take on more tasks.
Chapter 9 – Keep Your Balance

Enforcing Personal Disciplines
- Keeping within strict boundaries of discipline helps one stay focused and alert.
Building your support systems.
- Seek a good mix of people who can give you unbiased counsel both inside and outside your organization.
Chapter 9 – Keep Your Balance

“ Survival of the fittest.”
Help your direct reports and subordinates with their own transitions.
Create a 90-day transition program to reach break-even points faster.
1. Create a common language.
2. Working with a team.
3. Bringing in people from outside.
4. Developing high potential leaders.
5. Strengthening succession planning.
6. Accelerating post-merger integration.
Chapter 10 – Expedite Everyone

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The First 90 Days

by Samantha Johnson on Oct 31, 2007

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