Master Your Next Move: The Essential Companion to The First 90 Days

by Michael D. Watkins

Your next professional move can make or break your career. Are you ready? In business, especially today, you are only as successful as your next career transition. Do well, and you'll be on the fast track to even more challenging roles. Fail, and you could irreparably harm your career--and your organization. In his international bestseller The First 90 Days , transition guru Michael D. Watkins outlined a set of basic principles for getting up to speed quickly in new professional roles. Since that book was published Watkins has worked with thousands of leaders, helping them to accelerate their transitions. These leaders posed challenging questions on how to apply the basic principles in real-life situations. The truth that the First 90 Days framework can be applied in every transition, but the way you apply it is entirely different when you have been promoted to a higher level than it is when you are joining a new organization or taking a role in a different country. Master Your Next Move answers a distinct need, focusing on the most common types of transitions leaders face and the unique challenges posed by each. Based on years of research, and now with a new introduction, this indispensable book explores eight crucial transitions virtually everyone encounters during their career, including promotion, leading former peers, onboarding into a new company, making an international move, and turning around a business in crisis. With real-world examples and many practical models and tools, Master Your Next Move is your guide to surviving and thriving as you make your next move . . . and every one after that.

Genres: Business, Leadership, Management, Productivity, Self Help, Professional Development, Audiobook

209 pages, Hardcover

Published April 9, 2019

Reviews

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a disappointed in this book although perhaps should have done more investigation before buying it.

It is billed as “The Essential Companion” to the author’s bestselling book on managing transitions as business leader (“The First 90 Days”) which applies the rules of that book to a number of specific challenges:

Promotion
Leading Former Peers
Corporate Diplomacy – moving from a position of direct authority to one requiring influencing
Onboarding – to a new organisation
International Moves,
Turnaround
Realignment (the latter two taken from the STARS framework in the earlier book)
Business Portfolio – leading an organisation with a mix across the STARS (start up, accelerate growth and sustaining success being the others) framework

But at least in the chapters I read, a lot of the content was simply a repackaging of some relevant content in the former book. I think there is also the issue that in practice only 1-2 chapters are likely to be relevant for an individual (although the author does argue both here and in the predecessor that many transitions do contain at least two elements)

I think this would have been better if the genuinely additional content had been added to an expanded edition of the predecessor – but I guess there is a business learning here of look-before-you-buy.

The book is I think only really value for money for say libraries of corporate training centres or Executive MBA courses. I think individual readers are better to read all of “The First 90 Days” and make their own decisions on what content is relevant (and how it needs to be adapted) to their own transition.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The political manoeuvring she had encountered at headquarters was dispiriting; so was the lack of support from former colleagues. She was left wondering if she had the patience and finesse to navigate the politics of her new role”

Not what I was expecting after reading and loving 90 days so much, but still an important book. Some great frameworks presented for managing success at the highest levels of an organization. Loved some of the ideas like the analogy of an organizational immune system (don’t set it off - develop a vaccine!) the three Rs (recognize recover recalibrate) and the FOGLAMP approach to project planning (Focus, Oversight, Goals, Leadership, Abilities, Means, Process). And the essential discussions on culture, politics and influence that appear in all of these books...

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The entire career journey of one person has full of transitions, milestones and pitfalls. Everyone has his/her first day at work, first promotion, working for another team or boss, and sort of other changes. That is why it is critical that every one has to have an expert guide on how to navigate through these journeys.

This book serve us an excellent guide on how to deal with more specific kinds of transitions in an executive career. While this book is primarily written for senior executives or CEOs, the principles here are applicable to anyone who is planning to lead or is already in leadership position (supervisory level).

Moreover, the book gives specific advice on a wide variety of topics such as leading your former peers, how to prepare for international assignments, how to properly approach a turnaround and realignment business situations, and many more.

This book is comprehensive and specific enough for readers to start taking action. You’ll be confident that the ideas here are really backed up by research and real world applications not because the author said so but because it shows on the way the book is written.

Thanks to Harvard Business Review Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

[Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. It provides you with frameworks for managing, assessing, and delivering on a wide variety of situations applicable to mid- and large-sized companies.

Certainly, a book I would recommend to continue to build your business acumen.

[Aster Papazyan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is absolute masterpiece for corporate world employees. Mandatory for corporate employees (mainly managers) and coaches for corporate world. Professor (my favourite from IMD times) explains how big and complex is the promotion challenge. He explains outstandingly the former peer-challenge and every single nuance of STARS situational challenge (Start-up, Turn-around, Acceleration, Realignment, Sustaining success). I liked also very much the 7 levels of managerial ladder: 1 - managing oneself; 2 - managing others; 3 - managing managers; 4 - the functional manager; 5 - the business manager; 6 - the group manager; 7 - the enterprise manager.
Last but not least you can find comprehensive blueprint for political manoeuvring in corporations with huge focus on problem solving instead of focusing on people-plays.

[Aletha Dunston · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars
A Harvard Business Review-like study of the various pitfalls and opportunities, during leadership transitions. A good reminder of basic concepts.

A few takeaways:
* Spend as much time figuring out how something should be done as you do about why and what should be done
* Focus on corporate diplomacy and not just authority or reason/rationality.
* Define influence objectives.
* The difference between a relationship and an alliance is a shared goal… Make sure you understand what outcomes you’re hoping for, and that both are on the same page
* People that have become too comfortable with the status quo - may be afraid change will reduce their level of influence our power, may think the change will negatively affect the policies and cultural attributes of the organization that they care about, afraid of looking or feeling incompetent if they are unable to adapt to the changes. It is much easier to counter an argument or help bring someone to your side if you understand their motivation for rejecting the change.

* Components of Business System
* External environment - competitive and political climate
* Internal environment - organizations climate and work culture
* Business strategy- mission, vision, goals, metrics and incentives that provide overall direction for the business.
* Business architecture- leadership team, skill sets and core processes needed to realize the strategy

* Mission- “we will take that hill” what will be achieved
* Vision- reason to go the extra mile, a compelling picture of a desirable future that people are inspired to realize “by taking that hill, we will make the future safer for your children”

* Plans never survive first contact with the enemy
* Assess overall health of organization
* Shift morale from despair to hope
* Structure, processes, talent, and team
* Identify early wins to drive process of change - don’t get stuck in low-hanging fruit trap
* Leadership training and resources for those promoted into management roles
* Onboarding- needed not only on arrival to the organization, but when transitioning to new roles with new expectations

[Eva Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was listening to The First 90 Days on audiobook and found it difficult because there are so many charts and figures. So I checked the library for a paper copy and they didn’t have it ready today but they did have this available, so I grabbed it. I’m really glad I did.

This is supposed to be “the essential companion” to The First 90 Days, but I think it should replace it. Or at least for the purposes of someone like me who’s looking for/starting a new job but not at an executive or management level. The chapter on onboarding to a new company condensed everything important for my purposes from the original book into about 30-40 pages, with minimal fluff. I will definitely refer back to this when I start work.

The advice is very corporate-/sales-oriented and doesn’t give much care to humanness and authentic relationships. It’s much more about results and success (fitting in + ladder-climbing), and relationships in terms of getting people on your side/using them for your career value. So it’s definitely not a perfect or all-encompassing guide. That said, I could not find much else on Youtube or podcasts or through books that was so clear and specifically about the first three months on a job. There are some resources on Linkedin Learning, but not for free. So I’m glad I found this overall! I can tweak it for my needs and infuse my own compassion and human relations into these suggestions.

[Adama · Rating 4 out of 5]

A step by step guide to succeed in your transition

As the author recommends it, to take profit of this book, you need to first read "The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter ".

What I like about the book is the fact that it contains 7 types of career moves challenges you can either read from A to Z or you can just read the chapter most relevant to your next move. Whatever option you select, this book will teach you the step by step guidance to master your next move.

Here are the 7 types of challenges covered in the book.

1. The leading-former-peers challenge
2. The corporate diplomacy challenge
3. The onboarding challenge
4. The international move challenge
5. The turnaround challenge
6. The realignment challenge
7. The business portfolio challenge

I decided to start with #1, #2, and #3. Having worked Internationally from the start of my career, #4 wasn't really relevant to me. So, I brushed over it.

Overall, it's a good book to have and to consult anytime you move to a new role; whether in your current organization or in a new organization.

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cherished Christmas present from Sebastian!

This book fell into the same fate as most sequels do — underperforming the first book. Master Your Next Move had fewer aha moments for me, and some of the frameworks seemed ripped off from the Strategy unit in HBS. The concepts that continued to stick with me is understanding your next company's "immune system", securing early wins to build momentum, build allies etc., all good frameworks that were present in the first book.

I think the case studies on turnaround, realignment and STARS portfolio might come in useful in the future. And this book is definitely more geared towards senior leaders managing directs, vs up and coming managers.

[Daniela D · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very concise and clear book on 7 basic transition types, the core skills needed, biggest challenges you might encounter and some ways to avoid or prevent them. The author acknowledges that in reality transitions are not so clearcut and you might find yourself in a mix of situations, and he stresses the importance of identifying and really clearly defining the type of challenges you need to address in your new role for the business, but also the ways in which you yourself need to adapt and the skills that will make you successful in this new particular situation.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has seriously been one of the best books I have read in a while. It is very thought provoking and the perfect read for anyone (planning on) transitioning. I love the way each chapter ends with a practical checklist that really is applicable in your professional live, how it is structured, and the clarifying figures throughout the book. Another gem in the Harvard Business Review collection.

[William Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you found value in the The First 90 Days, you will find value here as well. Though The First 90 Days was strong and actionable, this is definitely your refresher course as well as your playbook. Watkins walks through specific examples with what went well and what went wrong, that help understand your upcoming challenges as a transitioning leader. Provided as well are many worksheets and tools for getting a grip on your current or upcoming situation.

[Michael Driscoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is basically a literal copy/paste of sections from "The First 90 Days" into chapters focused on the type of transition you are making, being promoted, leading former peers, joining a new organization, moving to a new country, among others. If you read The First 90 Days there's not much gained from reading this book. However for my next move I will likely reach for this book as it does usefully put all the critical detail on the type of transition in one place.

[Georgina de Lautour · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because I found The First 90 Days really valuable. This didn’t have the same impact for me. Narration was quite flat and case studies were unnecessarily long. Admittedly I skipped through the chapters that weren’t relative to me (international move and retirement), the onboarding chapter was the most useful.

[Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Occasionally fun to read, sometimes painfully slow. I did not check for certain, but based on my recollection of The First 90 Days from reading it about a year ago, some sentences, paragraphs, or even larger sections appear to be verbatim lifted from that book.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended this book by a colleague, and glad I read it! Good articulation of the stress/tension caused by personal transitions or those of managers/units/orgs around me. This is full of fairly practical tips that I’ll use. Want to read the companion book next!

[Cheri Larkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good business book for starting a new job or position. A how to break it down and approach the situation in a winning way.

[Veronique · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook version.

[Cara Early · Rating 3 out of 5]

Redundant if you have already read the first 90 days

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t feel I got much more from this than. Had already gotten from The First 9 Days. Lots of repeat information and naming things. I

[Mohammad ALKAYSI · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good guide on how to deal with transitions in an executive career. While this book is mainly targeting senior leaders or CEOs, the principles are applicable to anyone who is planning to transition into any leadership position (supervisory level).

The book gives specific advice on a wide variety of topics such as leading your former peers, how to prepare for international assignments, how to properly approach a turnaround and realignment business situations ...