Dr. Mario's 2nd 🧠

📖 The First 90 Days. Updated and Expanded

3 min read

Why did I want to read it?

Because I thought it would be helpful as a I enter as Engineering Manager of an existing team in Nextail.

What did I get out of it?

Introduction

Transitions are “unpleasant”, but common:

…transitions are also periods of acute vulnerability, because vou lack established working relationships and a detailed understanding of vour new role (…) Opinions of your effectiveness begin to form surprisingly quickly, (p.11)

This totals 13.5 major transitions per leader, or one every 1,3 years (…) some of these transitions likely happened in parallel. (p. 12)

The goal is to reach the break-even point quickly:

The break-even point is 6.2 months on average (according to a 200 CEO survey) and the author claims you can reduce it by 40% according to “independent research” (in two companies: a Fortune 100 in health-care, and a Fortune 500 in financial services).

Things that don´t work well (p. 14)

A misunderstood bias for action (reminds me of ✍️ Refusing to stand on the shoulders of giants), without observing:

  • Sticking with what you know.
  • Coming in with “the” answer.
  • Falling prey to the “action imperative.”
  • Attempting to do too much.
  • Setting unrealistic expectations.
  • Engaging in the wrong type of learning (overfocus on the technical, neglecting cultural and political).
  • Neglecting horizontal relationships.

And so you enter a vicious cycle:

Things that work (p. 19)

  • Prepare yourself: mental break from previous job and interiorizing that 🦜 What got you here won’t get you there in the new job.
  • Accelerate your learning: actively choosing what and how to learn about the new place.
  • Match your strategy to the situation: a successful transition in a startup is not the same than a business that is struggling or maintaining success on a large comp.
  • Secure early wins: in the first few weeks, for credibility and momentum.
  • Negotiate success (with your boss).

No other relationship is more important (…). Developing and gaining consensus on your 90 day plan.

  • Achieve alignment.
  • Build your team. And if you inherit a team, evaluate, align and mobilize.
  • Create coalitions.

Your success depends on your ability to influence people outside your direct line of control.

  • Keep your balance. So you don’t become crazy and make bad calls.
  • Accelerate everyone: the rest are also transitioning with you.

So you end up in a virtuous cycle:

Failure is never only about the flaws of the new leader. Indeed, all the failed leaders I studied had achieved significant successes in the past. Nor is it only about a no-win situation in which not even a superhuman leader could have carried the day (p. 17)

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