Book Report - "The First 90 Days" by Michael D. Watkins

I've been going through manager training at work and for our next training session, we were asked to read 1 book from a list of options prepare three takeaways. I ended up reading "The First 90 Days," and it seemed like the best way to really internalize the content would be to write a book report about it.

The list was standard fare management topics from well-known authors. Any one would have been adequate, and I could probably even have suggested "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" or "Extreme Ownership" if I didn't want to read a new book, but I figured it would be more true to the spirit of the assignment to read something unfamiliar to me and try to gain new skills and understanding.

From Bud to Boss: Secrets to a Successful Transition to Remarkable Leadership – Kevin Eikenberry
The First Time Manager – Jim McCormick
Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say and What You Don’t – L. David Marquet
Primed to Perform: How to Build the Highest Performing Cultures Through the Science of Total Motivation – Lindsay McGregor
Radical Candor: Be a Kick Ass Boss – Kim Scott
Crucial Conversations – Kerry Patterson
The Discomfort Zone – Marcia Reynolds
5 Levels of Leadership – John Maxwell
4 Disciplines of Execution – Chris McChesney, et al.
Trust & Inspire – Stephen Covey
The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies – Michael Watkins
Dare to Lead – Brene Brown
Start with Why – Simon Sinek

The way that I landed on "The First 90 Days" was something of random chance. I went through the provided list and searched my local library's selection of audiobooks in circulation. I put holds in on each of the books that had an audiobook available, as none of them were ready for checkout immediately. I decided that the first one that came available would be the one that I read for the manager training. Michael D. Watkins was the lucky author decided by my tactic.

I'm outside my first 90 days as a manager, but this is still my first management position and I haven't been a manager for a year yet. Hence, I thought it may still give me some valuable insight that I could apply to my current role, as well as prepare me for my next role should it be another management position.

Early in the book, I realized that it shared a lot of similarities with other self-improvement books that I've read, especially those geared toward a business perspective. Watkins uses a lot of fictional examples where he illustrates a problem, then uses that problem as a basis to explain a better solution to deal with similar issues. It isn't a new tactic, and it can feel a little staged or forced at time, but I suppose it's easier to refer back to an easily relatable example than to throw around a lot of theory and philosophy without concrete evidence.

One thing that does bother me is the insistence on using obscure or outright made-up acronyms. Fortunately, Watkins usually does define the acronym before he starts using it, but then he ONLY uses the acronym for basically the rest of the book. I get that SWOT is faster than listing out "Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats," but it feels forced. The type of thing that executives and middle managers pick up in an effort to seem relevant and knowledgeable, but comes across pretentious and annoying. Maybe I'm just being too critical about it, but it did rub me the wrong way.

Alas, I can't say the book was bad. I did have my complaints, but I also picked up a few interesting concepts that I'm hoping to apply to my management responsibilities. I could probably list a lot more than three key takeaways, but I want to make sure I follow instructions with my employer's assignment and isolate the ideas that most resonated with me.

Rely on horizontal connections in addition to vertical connections. It's common sense that as a manager, you have reports, and you report to someone above you. For many managers, those immediate reports and superior capture the entirety of their attention. However, your peers and analogues over other teams can often provide valuable information and help you achieve your goals. Don't neglect your horizontal connections for just those employees below and above you in the org chart.

First impressions provide momentum, good or bad. We've always heard how important it is to make a good first impression, but I didn't consider how much weight that can have on your long term success with a company. If you come out of the gate with big wins, you could have a frankly mediocre tenure and still seem like a quality employee for that great first impression. However, if you flub something big in your early days as a manager, it takes a tremendous amount of work to claw your way back into the good graces of the company.

Build the team and role that you want to leave behind. Realistically, very few of us are going to retire from the position we currently hold. You will leave behind a team and a position for someone else to fill in your absence. Your goal should be to build the team and role that will serve as your legacy for that period of your career. Don't sacrifice a great team for your own personal or professional gain.

Those three points were the most important to me personally, but Watkins does have quite a few other great ideas. Furthermore, I have summarized what he spent substantially more time on. My summary may not do justice for someone who may benefit from a different perspective on the same text. It's certainly worth a read for anyone who recently took on a management position, or especially for those seeking to become a manager soon.

I may eventually go back and read some of the other options we were provided with, but I'm glad I started with "The First 90 Days." It was short and easy to digest, but gave beneficial insight on a very narrow and specific period that many will go through in their career. Setting yourself up for success by making a good first impression and relying on your peers will prepare you to leave a better legacy after you leave the position. In turn, that benefits yourself, your team, and the organization that you leave behind.