Survive your Promotion – Book Review
Two thumbs up for Survive your Promotion
If you’ve worked your way up through the ranks to your first management position, Katy Tynan’s new book, “Survive your Promotion: The 90 Day Success Plan for New Managers,” is for you. It’s a clear no nonsense guide for success. You’ll find the book is light on management theory and heavy on nuts and bolts. Additionally, if your company’s culture includes promoting from within, put this book on your must read list.
Surviving your promotion is laid out in 5 parts: Motivation, Mindset, Method, Measurement, and Momentum. Don’t you love alliteration?
The meat of the book is in Part 3 where Katy maps out monthly strategies for success. Month one is get to know your internal team. Month two focuses on success strategies with customers and vendors. And finally, month three explains vision and goal setting.
Parts 4 and 5 are a surprising value to the book. She covers performance reviews, hiring, dealing with conflict and much more.
Finally, the end of the book has several pages of print and internet resources for those needing more information.
Katy communicates ideas like:
- Management is about people.
- Building relationships with your team enhances your ability to retain high performers.
- Don’t expect to succeed as a manager like you did as an individual.
- Use the IROD framework for meetings. (Issues, Results, Options, Decisions)
I read this book in three settings and I’m glad it’s on my shelf. I give it two thumbs up as a practical roadmap to success for newly promoted managers.
Katy Tynan is guest blogging for Leadership Freak tomorrow and we’re giving away two of her signed books so check in tomorrow for a chance to win.
Question: What surprising lessons did you learn when you became a manager?
Question: What quality do you admire in a manager?
Leadership Freak
Dan Rockwell
You can receive Leadership Freak in your email. It’s free. It’s private. Go to the main page of Leadership Freak by clicking the red banner at the top of this page, look in the right-hand navigation bar, enter your email and click subscribe. Your email address is always kept private. Note: if it doesn’t arrive, check your spam filter for a confirmation email.
Dan – thank you for taking the time to review the book! I hope it helps people avoid some of the common struggles and frustrations of transitioning to management. I’m looking forward to sending out the signed copies to your readers! -Katy
Katy
Thanks for sharing your experience in your book. I know it will be useful to anyone promoted into management. And thanks for the copy you sent me.
Regards,
Dan
Hi Dan,
Looks like this is a book that I’d love to have as a resource! I’ll be interested to read the guest blog.
In regard to you questions:
One surprising lesson I learned when I became a manager was how much there was to learn! I really thought I could count on my ability to build rapport as the key to success. Although that was critical in my overall success, I found out that I did not like to confront performance issues and would prefer to ignore them. Initially, that was the biggest surprise and challenge for me to overcome in order to help employees reach their potential.
Qualities I admire in any manager/leader: integrity, honesty, willingness to give/accept feedback, humility, communication skills, empathy, focus on employee development over personal gains…to name a few!
Again, I appreciate your blogs and look forward to the guest blog.
Respectfully,
Jen
Jen,
Great comment! I know others will benefit from your experience. Dealing with performance issues must be one of the toughest challenges for new managers. I know a few managers who were promoted and now supervise their friends. Thats a real tough one.
Cheers,
Dan
Dan –
Thanks for publicly reviewing Survive Your Promotion. I happen to know Katy and as a result know her to be an excellent manager / leader and coach – in other words well qualified to write this book.
The biggest lesson I learned upon becoming a manager was that while my skills qualified me for the role, those same skills did not make me “better” than the folks I was leading. Companies need complementary skills and well-coordinated roles, but they don’t need internal competition. I had direct reports doing work which I realized I could not do as well as they, but that those same employees needed me to do certain work they either had not yet learned or wasn’t a strength or interest of theirs. This knowledge also helped keep me from developing any sort of overly authoritative personality. The folks around me knew what my responsibilities were, and knew that I respected and admired them for the skills they delivered every day.
I would hope that I wouldn’t find the education above as “surprising,” but it has served as an incredibly strong foundation to many years of managing.
Thanks again,
Jeremy
Jeremy,
Thank you for leaving your first comment on Leadership Freak. You bring up a wonderful point that we all keep learning. Humility works. I hope you’ll keep stopping in and sharing with the community.
Regards,
Dan
As a leader, I learned it was not about me. At my first evaluation, my supervisor reviewed my accomplishments and praised me. Then she pointed to one little statement, “What have you done during this reporting period to develop your subordinates?” I couldn’t answer that. “That,” she said, “is what makes you a leader.” It was no longer about me—it’s about them.
Hi Mary,
Thanks for making a first comment on Leadership Freak! It’s always powerful when we share from our own lives and experiences. I look forward to learning from you in the future.
Learning to lead,
Dan
As a new manager, what served me well during my first months in my first management position is the belief that my subordinates, and my peer managers, my superiors will not regard me as true manager by just having the position, the respect should be earned by competence, hard work and attention to people needs in all levels …
I would be happy to read “Survive Your Promotion” by Katy, i think it will an excellent resource to sharpen my skills …
Thank you Katy and Dan!
Huda,
Welcome to Leadership Freak and all the best in your management career. I hope you keep coming back to share your experiences and knowledge.
All the best,
Dan