Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press; Upd Exp edition (May 14, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1422188612
ISBN-13: 978-1422188613
Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 5.8 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (598 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #785 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #2 in Books > Business & Money > Processes & Infrastructure > Organizational Change #10 in Books > Business & Money > Job Hunting & Careers > Guides #11 in Books > Business & Money > Management & Leadership > Decision-Making & Problem Solving
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.
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 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.
The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, Updated and Expanded The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter Speed Reading: The Ultimate Speed Reading Course to Increase Your Reading Speed (speed reading techniques, speed reading for beginners, speed reading training) (Genius Guide: Step By Step Book 3) The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated: Expanded and Updated, With Over 100 New Pages of Cutting-Edge Content. 10 Days to Faster Reading: Jump-Start Your Reading Skills with Speed reading Summary and Analysis | Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg UX for Lean Startups: Faster, Smarter User Experience Research and Design Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business The NOW Revolution: 7 Shifts to Make Your Business Faster, Smarter and More Social Lifehacker: The Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, and Better A Smarter Way to Learn HTML & CSS: Learn it faster. Remember it longer. (Volume 2) Mastering Clojure Macros: Write Cleaner, Faster, Smarter Code Launch to Market: Easy Marketing For Authors (Write Faster, Write Smarter Book 4) Write to Market: Deliver a Book that Sells (Write Faster, Write Smarter 3) Speed Writing Skills Training Course: Speedwriting for Faster Note Taking and Dictation, an Alternative to Shorthand to Help You Take Notes Asap Implementation at the Speed of Business: Implementation at the Speed of Business Speed Duel: The Inside Story of the Land Speed Record in the Sixties Your MBA Game Plan, Third Edition: Proven Strategies for Getting Into the Top Business Schools Secrets to Getting into Business School: 100 Proven Admissions Strategies to Get You Accepted at the MBA Program of Your Dreams Better and Faster: The Proven Path to Unstoppable Ideas