"TO STRIVE AND FAIL to be chosen for a leadership role is painful; to strive and succeed can be downright intimidating. Why? Because taking a new role means leaving behind the confines of what you know how to do well and embarking on an often uncomfortable journey of personal development." So begins The First 90 Days in Government, where authors Daly and Watkins look at how new public managers can efficiently become effective in their new positions.
As the title states, the focus is on the first three months of a new assignment- the transition period. This emphasis is well-founded. Why? "Transitions are times of opportunity and vulnerability" because they are ". . . critical times when small differences in your actions can have disproportionate effects on your later success." Additionally, the focus of this book is on those managing in the public sector- whose actions are governed by more statutes and policies than those in private industry.
During transitions, the authors make the reasonable claim that the goal is "to get up to speed as quickly as possible. Put another way, you should strive to arrive as rapidly as possible at the breakeven point," which they define as "the point at which new leaders have contributed as much value to their new organization as they have consumed from it." That said, "the book provides a road map for accelerating your transition." They focus on nine key challenges to master during this time, which I list below. For points that really hit home for me, I provide additional information.
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1) Clarify expectations
"Ambiguity about goals and expectations is dangerous." Very true- and they go on to talk about the importance of the relationship between you and your boss: "Your relationship with your new boss will be built through continuing dialogue. . . To structure the dialogue that should take place after you report for your new position, you should focus on five conversations" with him/her, the goal of which is shown after the conversation title:
a) Situation: "gain an understanding of how your new boss sees the state of your new organization."
b) Expectations: "clarify and negotiate what you are expected to accomplish."
c) Style: "learn how you and your boss can best interact on an ongoing basis."
d) Resources: it's "a negotiation for critical resources. What do you need to be successful?"
e) Personal Development: "discuss how your tenure and performance in this job can contribute to your own growth. In what areas do you need strengthening?"
"Different situations demand different strategies. But far too many new leaders do a poor job of diagnosing their situations and tailoring their strategies accordingly. They fall into the trap of assuming that one size will fit all and fail to recognize that different parts of their organizations may need to be approached in very different ways . . . One tool for assessing your situation is the STARS model, an acronym for start-up, turnaround, realignment, and sustaining success . . . Which of the four STARS situations are you facing?"
3) Accelerate your learning
"You cannot figure out where to take a new organization if you do not understand where it has been and how it got to where it is . . . " but "getting acquainted with a new organization can feel like drinking from a fire hose. You have to be systematic and focused about deciding what you need to learn and how you will learn it most efficiently." In keeping with this idea, "many new leaders have found it helpful to use three lenses to diagnose their organizations—technical, political, and cultural:"
a) Technical Learning. "Mastering the nature and key features of the organization’s products, services, and customers composes technical learning."
b) Political Learning. "Every organization is political—factions, power struggles, negotiations, and coalition-building efforts can be found in any large human enterprise."
c) Cultural Learning. "Culture is at the core of the organization and influences the other four dimensions of organizational architecture—strategy, structure, systems, and skills—and shapes the thinking behind each."
How do you learn? Everyone has their methods, but "active listening is the foundation of effective learning."
4) Secure early wins
"it is essential to identify promising opportunities and then focus relentlessly on turning them into wins."
5) Build the team
"Building a team in a governmental context is a major transition challenge that can be compared to repairing an airplane in midflight . . . you have to be careful that you don’t make too many changes too early."
6) Create alliances
"Start by identifying influential parties and then dig deeper to diagnose networks of influence."
Why do certain people have more influence? "Reasons for deference include: • Special expertise • Access to important information • Status • Control of resources, such as budgets and rewards • Personal loyalty • Coalition partnering."
7) Achieve alignment
"To be effective as a senior leader in government, you must be prepared to take on the role of organizational architect. This means cultivating your ability to observe and identify misalignments among strategy, structure, systems, skills, and culture."
8) Avoid predictable surprises
"often, new leaders are taken off track by surprises that really shouldn’t have been surprising—if the warning signs were known and heeded . . . bad news is usually much more valuable than good news and is stifled at great risk."
9) Manage yourself
It's important to schedule time for reflection and contemplation, to ensure things are (and stay) in the right direction.
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There's a lot of good information and pointers in this book. It felt a bit repetitive at times- it could have been more concisely represented- but a worthy read overall.
Rating: B+
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