The First 90 Days
When was the last time YOU started a new role, changed companies or even a new career path? It seems like more and more people are moving around our industry and taking on new challenges...which is a good thing but can leave YOU thinking..."Where do I Begin and How can I make an immediate impact?"
The "new guy" syndrome comes with it's share of advantages....like bringing a fresh perspective and point of view. It is also fraught with vulnerability and the chance that you may misstep in those critical first few months.
I guess you could say I have had the privilege of starting new roles every few years over the course of my career as well as changing companies. One of the things I have leaned on each time is re-reading the book "The First 90 Days" by Michael D. Watkins. It is a practical guide to remind us of the pitfalls we can experience as we take on something new as well as provide some tools and strategies to navigate for success.
There are a lot of gems in the book and I have found not everything applies to every situation like "are you moving your family?" There are several sections that apply to pretty much every new position you are taking on. One of my favorites is:
Match Strategy to Situation
YOU have probably been known throughout your career for certain capabilities and navigating specific situations. What can often happen to leaders moving into a new role is the age old saying "if all you have is a hammer you treat everything like a nail". What I take away from that is...if you are someone who is known for getting teams or companies through crisis then you "assume" what you are walking into is a five alarm fire. What you SHOULD be doing is assessing the situation and understanding where the team is...what THEY need and how YOU can best guide and help them. It may well be they have just come through the other side of a crisis and now they are trying to accelerate their success or sustain what they have built. The STARS model outlined in the book walks through examples and provides a template YOU can use to complete YOUR assessment. Each chapter also ends with a checklist you can reference to summarize the concepts outlined for each topic.
In Closing...
After a little over 5 years in my individual contributor role, I officially started this week in a new global position with a team of 5 incredible people which will eventually grow to 10. Even though I have led a lot of teams throughout my career in many different industries, it doesn't mean I won't fall into traps, habits or pitfalls that the first 90 days can present you with. So I will be re-reading the book yet again to sharpen the saw and give myself the best chance to succeed.
I hope YOU will read along too!
Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:
Have YOU started a new position recently? If so, what advise do YOU have for those about to embark on their first 90 days?
Have YOU read "The First 90 Days"? If you have, what is some of YOUR favorite parts of the book that I could focus on?
Do YOU have a different book, article or tools that YOU like to revisit when you start something new?
Even if YOU haven't started anything new in a while, no doubt YOU have seen the best practices or downfalls other leaders have experienced...so what is YOUR best leadership advice?
Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!
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