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Book Review - The First 90 Days
April 15th, 2008 by StephenPosted in Book Reviews, Links, Management |
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I just picked up this book, and was going to review it. Tim at My GTD Stuff has beat me to it:
Stuff for Getting Things Done: The First 90 Days - Success Strategies for New Leaders
One of the better books that I have read is called The First 90 Days - Success Strategies for New Leaders by Harvard professor Michael Watkins. The book is tailored to people who are new to leadership roles. This book is not only for new “people managers”, but many of the strategies discussed can be applied to just about anyone taking on a leadership role (e.g. Project Managers) or someone taking on a new role in their community (e.g. Cub Scout Den Leaders). The First 90 Days can be broken down into 5 main topics;
- How to get yourself focused
- How to learn your new role faster
- How to choose the right strategy
- How to make good things happen right away
- How to build a winning team
Why do I bring this book up now? I am embarking upon a new role within the company I work for. In light of that, I thought it would be a good idea to break this book out of my library and brush up on some of the key concepts.
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April 15th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
I don’t think people focus enough on this one:
“How much emphasis will I place on learning versus doing?”
Although learning and doing are combined, if you’re are starting any new job adventure, you will find that the learning curve is pretty steep.
This idea is something I need to integrate better in my freelance writing/photography business. I find that I put too much emphasis on the doing, and not on the learning. Focusing too much on output, I run myself into the ground.
I suppose the profit motive comes into play? Hmmm.
April 15th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
It’s the old “billable hours” trap.
April 15th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Traps were meant to be avoided. Perhaps we can trick people into side stepping?
This reminds me of the argument of “the tragedy of the commons.” Anyway, I diverge. Being a philosopher and all.