You’ve stepped into your new position with a head full of good ideas and ambitious goals. Then you discover the situation is not so rosy. There are several serious problems that were masked by good performance numbers. Relationships are strained and structural problem prevent quick fixes. How does one tailor the strategy to solve these issues? In the book ‘The first 90 days’, the author Michael Watkins, discusses the process begins by methodically diagnosing the situation then understand the history followed by several more process steps to be discussed below.
According to Watkins, diagnosing the business situation involves four types of situations; start-up, turnaround, realignment, and sustaining success. This is known as the STaRS model and involves a lifecycle of a business operation. Understanding the character and politics of each situation will aide any new person at any level in the organizations at selecting the correct strategy.
Understanding the history of the operations aids in determining where the organization is at in the lifecycle of the STaRS model. Watkins illustrates the STaRS model and its transition phases of crisis, recovery, growth cycles (Watkins, 2003, p 63). Depending if the organization is in phase transition or maintaining a specific phase will determine the strategy necessary to achieve the right goals.
Identifying challenges and opportunities is dependent on the transition type which presents a distinct set of challenges. The principle idea Watkins presents is that good leaders will preserve what is good in the organization and leverage situational characteristics to build momentum for the right opportunities.
Watkins then discusses transforming organizational psychology and leading with the right skills. People’s mental condition is caveated by the STaRS situation at hand. Identifying the correct transition circumstances then understanding the psychology will allow the leader, you, to properly channel momentum and deflect, deter, of diminish negative emotions. Often the leader must ‘invent the challenge’ and rally people behind that challenge. Selecting the right skills for the challenge is also dependent on the transition mode of the organization.
Focusing your energy on the right activities is important. Watkin’s discusses three critical fundamentals; learning verses doing, offense verses defense, and securing early wins. Learning verses doing centers on time management. If too much time is spent learning then the situation could be overcome by events, OBE. Offense verses defense is focused on the balance between introducing new activities verses focusing on existing activities in the organization. This varies in relation to the STaRS model. Obviously a startup is high doing and offense, the introduction of many new processes, as compared to sustaining success which involves high defense and learning. Securing early wins builds momentum and supports all transition modes equally. As early credible wins are made momentum will build that carries the efforts along further since everyone wants to be on a winning team.
Watkins cautions that the STaRS model works but circumstances are not always pure. The leader must further diagnose the transition circumstances for hybrid or mix of transitions. He offers an example where at a high level the transition fits one STaRS model well but at lower levels of the organization there are multiple transitions ongoing in the various divisions as new product lines are introduced and older lines are being transitioned. The leader will assess this and determine the best approach, skills, and tools to employ.
In the end, rewarding success is dependent on the STaRS model positioning. High performance is rewarded differently in the STaRS model. Measureable outcomes are achieved differently based on the organizational situation. Hence, the rewards are formulated differently requiring more work and a deep understanding of the challenges faced. Finally, Watkins offers adopting a 4-d development process in your organization using the STaRS model to select talent and succession and development planning.
By employing Watkins approach leaders in new positions can add this to their tool kit in preparing for and executing success in the first 90 days.
References:
Watkins, M. (2003) The first 90 days: Critical success strategies for new leaders at all levels. Harvard Business School Press. Boston, Ma.
According to Watkins, diagnosing the business situation involves four types of situations; start-up, turnaround, realignment, and sustaining success. This is known as the STaRS model and involves a lifecycle of a business operation. Understanding the character and politics of each situation will aide any new person at any level in the organizations at selecting the correct strategy.
Understanding the history of the operations aids in determining where the organization is at in the lifecycle of the STaRS model. Watkins illustrates the STaRS model and its transition phases of crisis, recovery, growth cycles (Watkins, 2003, p 63). Depending if the organization is in phase transition or maintaining a specific phase will determine the strategy necessary to achieve the right goals.
Identifying challenges and opportunities is dependent on the transition type which presents a distinct set of challenges. The principle idea Watkins presents is that good leaders will preserve what is good in the organization and leverage situational characteristics to build momentum for the right opportunities.
Watkins then discusses transforming organizational psychology and leading with the right skills. People’s mental condition is caveated by the STaRS situation at hand. Identifying the correct transition circumstances then understanding the psychology will allow the leader, you, to properly channel momentum and deflect, deter, of diminish negative emotions. Often the leader must ‘invent the challenge’ and rally people behind that challenge. Selecting the right skills for the challenge is also dependent on the transition mode of the organization.
Focusing your energy on the right activities is important. Watkin’s discusses three critical fundamentals; learning verses doing, offense verses defense, and securing early wins. Learning verses doing centers on time management. If too much time is spent learning then the situation could be overcome by events, OBE. Offense verses defense is focused on the balance between introducing new activities verses focusing on existing activities in the organization. This varies in relation to the STaRS model. Obviously a startup is high doing and offense, the introduction of many new processes, as compared to sustaining success which involves high defense and learning. Securing early wins builds momentum and supports all transition modes equally. As early credible wins are made momentum will build that carries the efforts along further since everyone wants to be on a winning team.
Watkins cautions that the STaRS model works but circumstances are not always pure. The leader must further diagnose the transition circumstances for hybrid or mix of transitions. He offers an example where at a high level the transition fits one STaRS model well but at lower levels of the organization there are multiple transitions ongoing in the various divisions as new product lines are introduced and older lines are being transitioned. The leader will assess this and determine the best approach, skills, and tools to employ.
In the end, rewarding success is dependent on the STaRS model positioning. High performance is rewarded differently in the STaRS model. Measureable outcomes are achieved differently based on the organizational situation. Hence, the rewards are formulated differently requiring more work and a deep understanding of the challenges faced. Finally, Watkins offers adopting a 4-d development process in your organization using the STaRS model to select talent and succession and development planning.
By employing Watkins approach leaders in new positions can add this to their tool kit in preparing for and executing success in the first 90 days.
I will explore in the next several blogs postings, Proving Yourself on Your New Job. The steps are:
01. Promote Yourself
02. Accelerate Your Learning
03. Match Strategy to Situation
04. Securing Early Wins
05. Negotiate Success
06. Achieve Alignment
07. Build Your Team
08. Create Coalitions
09. Keep Your Balance
10. Expedite Everyone
Should you have any comments or questions please feel free to post or email me; james.bogden@gmail.com.
01. Promote Yourself
02. Accelerate Your Learning
03. Match Strategy to Situation
04. Securing Early Wins
05. Negotiate Success
06. Achieve Alignment
07. Build Your Team
08. Create Coalitions
09. Keep Your Balance
10. Expedite Everyone
Should you have any comments or questions please feel free to post or email me; james.bogden@gmail.com.
References:
Watkins, M. (2003) The first 90 days: Critical success strategies for new leaders at all levels. Harvard Business School Press. Boston, Ma.
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