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Coaching ExecutivesBook Review: “Your First 100 Days in a New Executive Job” by Robert Hargrove, the former director of the Harvard Leadership Research Project and a coach to many.
This book offers tools for approaching a transition to maximize results; reading it profits both executives and their coaches.
Summary:
The sections of the book provide information on the following:
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Preparation: building in time to research, think, and strategize makes sense. Hargrove provides a process with three steps: Scan, Focus, and Act.
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Clarity: knowing what is expected is more than the surface level directives; think bigger and deeper.
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Goal: know your ideal and create buy-in while balancing routine duties.
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Strategy: Hargrove separates your fist 100 days in to 3 segments: Due Diligence, Leadership commitment, and Action Plan.
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Crisis: whether you are expected to deal with a turnaround or an unexpected crisis occurs, Hargrove provides seven steps for effective outcomes.
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People: chances are you have heard about the right people on the right bus — Hargrove provides a simple tool to determine whether you have the right people.
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Politics: consider who wants want and how to develop an effective process.
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Results Now: short-term wins serve long-term goals.
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Time Management: separate what really counts from what eats time with Hargrove’s four quadrants.
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Results: consider outcomes, get feedback, and create your next plan.
Hargrove does recommend working with a coach for optimum results.
The Good:
In each section Hargrove provides a clear process.
The questions empower open thinking and productive planning.
The examples and considerations provide perspective.
While written for high-level executives, the concepts apply at all levels.
The Bad:
The content is ripe for an executive and a coach without specifically addressing how to work through the information as a team.
Conclusion:
This book is a good read with excellent information that coaches and clients alike will find useful. Hargrove clearly knows his stuff and the content of the book is easily adopted for hands-on application.
