The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, Updated and Expanded

This is a great resource with tremendous insight for starting at a new position. Some of the content isn't applicable to a church situation, but much of it is. It is well laid out with clear questions and practical steps. I'd highly recommend it.

I've heard about this book from many people so I bought the updated version and its extremely helpful. It is the "bible" of transitioning to a new role. The general situation is either being hired or promoted to a very senior level or executive role where you have responsibilities for people, budgets and initiatives and have to set direction. The author provides step by step chapters on the different things you have to think about and what phases a transition plan will entail. There are excellent check lists, tables and exercises to help you plan out a successful transition. This includes analyzing yourself as well as your new firm as different situations will require different approaches and half the battle is know what situation you are in. It only took a few days to read including taking notes and doing some analysis. Its not a hard read but I recommend taking the time, bookmarking sections and referring back to them along your journey.

A good read... some good ideas, processes and techniques. I feel this is just a bit dated... and could use some refreshing. But mostly it is gold for anyone starting a transition or a change in jobs. (Frankly I do feel that some of this is just flat out “duh” and not really all that insightful (about 10-15%) but most of it is useful and enlightening.) read through and extract your nuggets... like I did... you'll find plenty here to use.

This should be required reading for every business leader making a transition in their career. Whether the person is a moving into a management role for the first time, or they've just been named the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, the wisdom that this book contains is invaluable. By using the STARS model as a guideline, I was able to understand the different transition situations I was in, which varied by area of the business I was analyzing. It's truly an excellent read, and I highly recommend it!

This is incredible book if you want to move up in your current place of employment or look for other opportunities! It gives you so many different perspectives! When going into my role I had this idea of how I was going to “shake things up”! Luckily I read the book prior to starting and gave me such a more insightful way to look at things! I am more successful bc of this book!

This book helps people handle transitions into a new company or a new role. It provides a framework (dubbed STARS) for properly diagnosing the situation we are landing in, and a set of tools (e.g. negotiate expectations, create alliances, create org. alignment, identify early wins, map influencers, etc) and guidelines for what to focus on given our initial diagnosis. I wouldn't say that the advice or insight here is groundbreaking or unintuitive, but the book’s value resides in officiating as a checklist, spurring thought and intentionality during the early phase of a job transition. Some of the content, related to creating a strategy, seeking organizational alignment, and building a team, are worth revisiting since these challenges can arise at any point.

Starting a new job this year presented a great opportunity/challenge in resetting the way that I show up and contribute value to the workplace. The First 90 Days defines ten transition tasks to consider when joining a new organization or being promoted to a senior role in the current organization. Each task builds upon the last and provides relatable stories and actionable guidelines for each (presented at the end of each chapter as a checklist). I'm still working my way through to the 90-day mark, and have found this guide very helpful in ensuring my entry in the new environment is impactful. Quotes: - Transition failures happen because new leaders either misunderstand the essential demands of the situation or lack the skill and flexibility to adapt to them. - Strategic direction encompasses mission, vision, and strategy. Mission is about what will be achieved, vision is about why people should feel motivated to perform at a high level, and strategy is about how resources should be allocated and decisions made to accomplish the mission.

This book offers a clear, structured approach to navigating career transitions and setting yourself up for success in the first three months of a new role. I appreciated its practical frameworks and real-world examples, which make it easy to apply. Some parts can feel repetitive or corporate, but overall it’s a valuable guide for managers and professionals taking on new challenges. Highly recommended for anyone stepping into a leadership or high-impact position.