I decided to launch a podcast to share what I've learned, and how I've used this knowledge in managing my career. This week I discuss three must-read career management books and explain why you should be reading them.
The First 90-Days by Michael Watkins
The First 90 Days provides an approach to how to learn as much as possible about your new company, as fast as you can, during your first 90 days. It teaches you how to transition into a new leadership role by understanding the ten key challenges facing new hires. This book taught me how to conduct a Needs Assessment when taking on leadership roles. This book assists you in developing a 90-day plan to achieve results. Below is the Smart Lemming rating for The First 90-Days.
SmartLemming.com rates The First 90 Days a 4 on a scale of 4, as a must-read book for workers, managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs, who want to learn how to transition into a new Leadership role part of their Career Management skills. This book also rates 4 out of 4 as must-read for workers, who are interested in this topic from a Management perspective. Managers learn how to structure their newly recruited or promoted leader's transition into new role. It rates 3 out of 4 in Business Life and Women in Business, as a should-read book, for workers who want to use it as a resource in business life. Â This book is not applicable for workers, who are interested in developing their Marketing or Sales skills. Below is also the rating scale used in the Smart Lemming Radar graph.
Kotler on Marketing: How to Win, Create, and Dominate Markets by Philip Kotler
Philip Kotler's book teaches you that marketing is not just selling. Its purpose is demand management to influencing the level, timing and composition of demand. Kotler teaches you how to ask the customer question: "Why should I buy from you?" Below is the Smart Lemming rating for Kotler on Marketing.
The SmartLemming.com rates Kotler on Marketing a 4 on a scale of 4, as a must-read for workers, managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs who want to understand and learn marketing from a Career Management , Management, Marketing, and Sales perspective. This book rates 2 out of 4 in Business Life, Leadership and Women in Business, as an optional-read, for workers who want to use it as a resource in these areas. Below is also the rating scale used in the Smart Lemming Radar graph.
Beyond the Core: Expand Your Market Without Abandoning Your Roots by Chris Zook
Beyond the Core explains why the most successful kind of growth is an "adjacency move," in which you expand into an area related to your core business activity. He teaches you why "adjacency moves" provide the best opportunities to expand, what the primary requirements are for such moves, and what directions such moves often take. Below is the Smart Lemming rating for Beyond the Core.
The SmartLemming.com rates Beyond the Core a 4 on a scale of 4, as a must-read for workers, managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs who want to understand and learn strategy of their career Management plan. This book rates a 4 out of 4 as a must-read read for workers, who are interested in this topic from a Management and Marketing perspective. Managers and marketers will need to learn new approaches to product strategy. Zook's book rates 3 out of 4 in Business Life, Leadership and Women in Business, as a should-read, for workers who want to use it as a resource. From a business life perspective, you learn why strategy matters. Leaders learn how to be a leader in your company to come up with new strategies for your company. Women in business need to be up to speed on strategy and add value to their companies with Zook's knowledge. It also rates 2 out of 4 in Sales, as an optional-read, for workers who want to use it as a resource to improve their sales or sales management skills. Below is also the rating scale used in the Smart Lemming Radar graph.