Early wins are a key to proving yourself quickly and establishing credibility according to Michael Watkins, author of The First 90 Days. Watkins encourages that by the end of your transition, you’ll want everyone; the boss, peers, and subordinates alike, to feel like something new, something good, is happening. This will energize people. When executed well, the early wins help you create value and attain breakeven points quicker. Watkins offers further clarification into securing early wins.
First, he discusses avoiding common traps. That includes failing to focus, not taking the business situation into account or adjusting to the culture, letting the means undermine the results, and finally failing to achieve wins that matter to your boss. Addressing problems that your boss cares about will go a long way towards building credibility and cementing your access to resources.
Second, Watkins addresses making waves of change. Watkins model for change is 4 staged; transition, immersion, reshaping, and consolidation. This model’s time line may vary and early wins must occur in the transition stage of the model in support of the long term.
Watkins then moves off to discuss the long term goals based on early wins. The early wins, if effective, should build credibility and lay a foundation for the longer term goals. Two characteristic qualities of the effective early win is that the win is consistent with the A item list of business priorities and introduces new behavioral patterns. Be sure to define A list item goals with distinct end states in mind. Defining the A list items follows some basic guidelines. They should flow naturally from core problems and not be too narrow or broad. If developed accurately, A list items should provide clear direction and flexibility during the overarching learning process developing the longer term goals. Once the A list items are identified then behavioral patterns that are dysfunctional must be targeted. These dysfunctional behaviors typically center on focus, discipline, innovation, teamwork, and a sense of urgency. Therefore, the effective early win properly structured builds the foundation for the longer term goals.
Watkins then details how to proceed with early wins once armed with good A list items, the end state in mind, and behavioral changes that need to be made. The process begins with the objective to build credibility. Early actions will have a disproportionate influence on how you are perceived. Getting connected to the organization must be thought through. The first effort is to determine the messages being sent and modes of engagement. Cut out redundant meetings and repair relationships beginning with external ones. New leaders are perceived more credible when demanding but able to be satisfied, accessible but not familiar, decisive but judicious, focused and flexible, active without causing a commotion, and makes tough calls but is humane. These leaders leverage the teachable moments and secure tangible results by keeping long term goals in mind, identifying and concentrating on promising focal points, use pilot projects to build momentum and introduce new behaviors, and engage change agents.
Watkins points to avoiding predictable surprises in order to increase early win impacts. He identifies potential problem areas as external environmental trends, opinions, and legislation; changes in customers, markets, and strategies; internal capabilities and capacities; and organizational politics. In the end, leading change requires situational awareness, diagnoses of effective change, vision, planning, and building effective support. The effective leader matches strategy to the situation as discussed last week. Early modest improvements lead to greater fundamental changes desired in the long term goals. Therefore, the leader must understand the dynamics of effective early wins.
References:
Watkins, M. (2003) The first 90 days: Critical success strategies for new leaders at all levels. Harvard Business School Press. Boston, Ma.
First, he discusses avoiding common traps. That includes failing to focus, not taking the business situation into account or adjusting to the culture, letting the means undermine the results, and finally failing to achieve wins that matter to your boss. Addressing problems that your boss cares about will go a long way towards building credibility and cementing your access to resources.
Second, Watkins addresses making waves of change. Watkins model for change is 4 staged; transition, immersion, reshaping, and consolidation. This model’s time line may vary and early wins must occur in the transition stage of the model in support of the long term.
Watkins then moves off to discuss the long term goals based on early wins. The early wins, if effective, should build credibility and lay a foundation for the longer term goals. Two characteristic qualities of the effective early win is that the win is consistent with the A item list of business priorities and introduces new behavioral patterns. Be sure to define A list item goals with distinct end states in mind. Defining the A list items follows some basic guidelines. They should flow naturally from core problems and not be too narrow or broad. If developed accurately, A list items should provide clear direction and flexibility during the overarching learning process developing the longer term goals. Once the A list items are identified then behavioral patterns that are dysfunctional must be targeted. These dysfunctional behaviors typically center on focus, discipline, innovation, teamwork, and a sense of urgency. Therefore, the effective early win properly structured builds the foundation for the longer term goals.
Watkins then details how to proceed with early wins once armed with good A list items, the end state in mind, and behavioral changes that need to be made. The process begins with the objective to build credibility. Early actions will have a disproportionate influence on how you are perceived. Getting connected to the organization must be thought through. The first effort is to determine the messages being sent and modes of engagement. Cut out redundant meetings and repair relationships beginning with external ones. New leaders are perceived more credible when demanding but able to be satisfied, accessible but not familiar, decisive but judicious, focused and flexible, active without causing a commotion, and makes tough calls but is humane. These leaders leverage the teachable moments and secure tangible results by keeping long term goals in mind, identifying and concentrating on promising focal points, use pilot projects to build momentum and introduce new behaviors, and engage change agents.
Watkins points to avoiding predictable surprises in order to increase early win impacts. He identifies potential problem areas as external environmental trends, opinions, and legislation; changes in customers, markets, and strategies; internal capabilities and capacities; and organizational politics. In the end, leading change requires situational awareness, diagnoses of effective change, vision, planning, and building effective support. The effective leader matches strategy to the situation as discussed last week. Early modest improvements lead to greater fundamental changes desired in the long term goals. Therefore, the leader must understand the dynamics of effective early wins.
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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