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October 14 - December 12, 2020
Shaping the Game, a 2006 Harvard Business Review Press book
“The Pillars of Executive Onboarding,” an October 2008 Talent Management
Your Next Move,
“Picking the Right Transition Strategy,” a January 2009 Harvard Business Review
“How Managers Become Leaders,” a June 2012 Harvard Business Review article
The president of the United States gets 100 days to prove himself; you get 90. The actions you take during your first few months in a new role will largely determine whether you succeed or fail.
“transitions into new roles are the most challenging times in the professional lives of leaders.”
“success or failure during the first few months is a strong predictor of overall success or failure in the job.”
This totals 13.5 major transitions per leader, or one every 1.3 years.
13.5 major transitions per leader, or one every 1.3 years.
every successful career is a series of successful assignments, and every successful assignment is launched with a successful transition.
Hidden transitions can be particularly perilous, because leaders do not always recognize them or give them the attention they deserve. The most dangerous transition can be the one you don’t recognize is happening.
about a quarter of the managers in a typical Fortune 500 company changes jobs.
each leader transition materially impacts the performance of roughly a dozen other people—bosses,
Your goal in every transition is to get as rapidly as possible to the break-even point.
break-even point. This is the point at which you have contributed as much value to your new organization as you have consumed from it.
the point at which you have contributed as much value to your new organization as y...
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This book provides a blueprint for dramatically condensing the time it takes you to reach the break-even point, regardless of your level in your organization.
Sticking with what you know.
Falling prey to the “action imperative.”
Setting unrealistic expectations.
Attempting to do too much.
Coming in with “the” answer.
Engaging in the wrong type of learning.
Neglecting horizontal relationships.
your objective is not only to avoid vicious cycles; you need to create virtuous cycles that help you create momentum and establish an upward spiral of increasing effectiveness
Leadership ultimately is about influence and leverage. You are, after all, only one person. To be successful, you need to mobilize the energy of many others in your organization.
Transition failures happen because new leaders either misunderstand the essential demands of the situation or lack the skill and flexibility to adapt to them.
Prepare yourself.
Accelerate your learning.
Match your strategy to the situation.
Secure early wins.
In the first few weeks, you need to identify opportunities to build personal credibility. In the first 90 days, you need to identify ways to create value and improve business results that will help you get to the break-even point more rapidly.
Negotiate success.
carefully planning for a series of critical conversations about the situation, expectations, working style, resources, and your personal development.
Achieve alignment.
Build your team.
Your willingness to make tough early personnel calls and your capacity to select the right people for the right positions are among the most important drivers of success during your transition and beyond.
Create coalitions.
You therefore should start right away to identify those whose support is essential for your success, and to figure out how to line them up on your side.
identify those whose support is essential for your success, and to figure out how to line them up on your side.
Keep your b...
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Accelerate everyone.
you need to help all those in your organization—direct reports, bosses, and peers—accelerate their own transitions.
Your transition begins the moment you learn you are being considered for a new job
start planning what you hope to accomplish by specific milestones.
Acceleration Checklist
What will it take for you to reach the break-even point more quickly? What are some traps you might encounter, and how can you avoid them? What can you do to create virtuous cycles and build momentum in your new role? What types of transitions are you experiencing? Which are you finding most challenging, and why? What are the key elements and milestones in your 90-day plan?
Julia failed because she did not make the leap from being a strong functional performer to taking on a cross-functional, project-leadership role.
It’s a mistake to believe that you will be successful in your new job by continuing to do what you did in your previous job,
