5.0 out of 5 stars
An invaluable on-boarding guidebook and resource for leaders at all levels, July 3, 2009
This review is from: The New Boss: How to Survive the First 100 Days (Paperback)
This book is ideal for any newly appointed leader. Peter Fischer's approach to Leadership Transitions helps leaders to avoid typical mistakes and pitfalls and to create the foundations for success right from the start.
"The New Boss" is an invaluable on-boarding guidebook and resource for any leader. It gives particular attention to the issues inherent in a variety of challenging on-boarding situations including external hires, international transfers, high potential fast-trackers, change agents and expert / technical types in a leadership role.
Leaders need a strong start, but they also need to carefully manage the pressure for early results and take the time to learn and navigate the new situation. The average tenure for a leadership role is relatively short and mistakes or missteps are more likely early on. A key relationship that gets off to a bad start, for example, can easily cause a setback of many months or even diminish the potential for success in the role. This book begins with the do's and don'ts of successful leadership transitions and is loaded with examples, tools and tips that help leaders to plan, anticipate and manage the issues, challenges and phases of their first 100 Days.
Peter Fischer provides a proven framework and systematic approach to managing leadership transitions and has effectively captured the "soft-side" elements that are missing in other books written on this topic. Additionally, this book offers yet another fresh perspective as Fischer has masterfully captured the challenges and pitfalls in a series of different starting situations that leaders face.
In Part One, Fischer outlines seven essential strategies for on-boarding and making a successful leadership transition. In brief, here they are:
1. MANAGING EXPECTATIONS PROACTIVELY. Actively seek out and explore the expectations of key constituents. Listen for what is being said, as well as what is unspoken or hiden between the lines. All expectations need to be managed, but it's a mistake to think that all expectations need to be met.
2. DEVELOPING THE KEY RELATIONSHIPS. Most changes in leadership run aground on the shoals of key relationships. Develop your power and influence by systematically building an active network of relationships that exists both within and beyond the formal organization chart. Don't let work on your task keep you from investing time in relationships; you will regret it later.
3. CONSTRUCTIVELY ANALYZING THE INITIAL SITUATION. Get a clear picture of the situation by modeling it from different perspectives. Clarify your view of the rules and values that govern how people work and behave, the issues occupying the organization, the facts that determine action, the resources you can build on and the available potential for innovation and change. Avoid the trap of trying to understand everything in great detail.
4. ESTABLISHING A SET OF MOTIVATING GOALS. The idea is to formulate a set of goals that employees will find convincing. To generate a positive climate for change, paint a picture of the future, represent the various stakeholder perspectives, respect the past accomplishments and ensure a balance between change and stability. The big, ugly long-standing problem is the wrong place to start.
5. FOSTERING A POSITIVE CLIMATE FOR CHANGE. Plough the ground before sowing. Show recognition through questions and foster the willingness to adopt other points of view. Rather than asking about problems, prompt people to describe precisely how everything works. Welcome expressions of skepticism; they contain valuable clues to possible obstacles.
6. INITIATING CHANGES EFFECTIVELY. Send strong, clear signals for change being mindful that it's important to communicate at an objective as well as an emotional level. Engage people in the first action steps and adopt a strategy of small wins and large gains to build trust and momentum. No change process runs without encountering obstacles, so be prepared to address them.
7. USING SYMBOLS AND RITUALS. Symbolic language is powerful. Symbols and rituals have the fascinating property of speaking to people in an emotional and therefore much more inclusive way than purely "objective" communication. Use them to communicate basic values, establish standpoints and underline important messages, establish credibility and initiate change.
Part Two of Fischer's book includes seven case studies that depict various leadership transition scenarios, the typical problems encountered and how to effectively deal with them. The following situations are covered: the internal promotion, the external hire, the glorified predecessor, the young, high-potential manager, the long, drawn-out start, the assignment abroad and the headquarters assignment.
Bottom line: "The New Boss" is essential reading for any leader in transition. We provide this book in every On-boarding / Leadership Transition Coaching that we do.
Mary Chevalier, Executive Coach
Attain International
Change and Transition Management Specialists
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book for senior executives, March 19, 2009
This review is from: The New Boss: How to Survive the First 100 Days (Paperback)
In the "New Boss", author Peter Fischer sets out a transition plan for moving into a new management role - a senior management position. From the outset, he posits his seven building blocks of a successful leadership transition - Managing Expectations, Building Key Relationships, Analysing the Situation, Clarifying Objectives, Creating a Climate for Change, Initiating Changes and Using Symbols and Rituals. All of these are eminently practical and from Fischer's perspective, quite applicable. The one that I found particularly useful and is seldom covered in books of this nature - Using Symbols and Rituals.
The book is in two parts. Part I outlines the seven building blocks and Part II has seven case studies. Some of the case studies are written in the present tense which enables the reader to consider what he or she would do in this situation. It also enables the author to outline the challenges and suggest ways to master them. This is a nice way of involving the reader in the topic.
The book is well set out with plenty of diagrams (to provide overview and structure), good checklists and simple analytical tools, plus many short vignettes to illustrate points. It is well written and the author is obviously very experienced in this field.
I thoroughly concur with Fischer's seven building blocks. For me, the one that is still missing is one on "teams and groups". As this book is written for senior managers, it would have been useful to have an explanation on leading and managing teams and/or groups. That aside, the book is another excellent addition to the management literature.
I would recommend the book for senior executives and CEOs moving into a new role. Although a novice manager would gain some insights from this book, it is really more suited to senior executives.
Bob Selden, author, What To Do When You Become The Boss: How new managers become successful managers
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