Coaching Executives

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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.

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