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 enlarge | Author: Michael Watkins
Publisher: Harvard Business School Press
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $9.24
You Save: $20.71 (69%)
New (59) Used (43) Collectible (2) from $8.75
Rating:  79 reviews
Sales Rank: 807
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 208
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.8 x 1
ISBN: 1591391105
Dewey Decimal Number: 658.4
EAN: 9781591391104
ASIN: 1591391105
Publication Date: September 18, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Some great tips, but often not well developed or organized May 28, 2007
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
We bought this book along with the "New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan" and read them side by side.
Pro:
-"STaRS" concept is excellent. Start-ups, Turnarounds, Realignments and Sustaining success are all different scenarios that you might be thrown into, and the environment you join directly affects what you need to do.
-Checklists are helpful, when available, to boil thoughts down to the most essential elements
-There are many good tips interspersed throughout the book that are good reminders of the basics you need to adhere to in order to be successful
-Breaks the "sink or swim mindset" often associated with starting a new position
Con:
-Does not really address the time opportunity BEFORE you start a job and in my experience is a major lost opportunity that I've been able to surprise and delight. Set up pre-meetings, arranging for email/phone and a place to sit, etc. as a chance to listen and learn without the pressure to perform. Any items that can/should be done ahead of time appear to me as afterthoughts, underdeveloped, and often out of sequence in this text.
-Would not serve as a handy reference... better chapter summaries and a stronger introduction with time lines and meaty chapter outline would have been helpful both now and in the future
-I think that many good concepts like "STaRS" were underdeveloped or under leveraged... I sense more detail that was perhaps omitted
-To me, many of the illustrations were filler and did not offer additional information
-Sometimes poor or awkward word choice or idea sequence (e.g. rather than "Promote Yourself" why not just call it "Prepare Yourself" as this is what you are really saying, so why not just say it that way?)
-Real life examples were unnecessarily detailed, consuming time and space that I think could be better used by the author as he's clearly brilliant and has some great observations
-I think that the scope is too narrow, picks up after you've started the job (day 1) and neglects the opportunity (and chaos) beforehand of the interview, moving, doing "pre-work" to get your basics at work set-up
Bottom line: While there were some interesting moments, I was disappointed. The book does offer several cautionary tales of CEOs who crashed and burned, and if nothing else serves as both warning and motivation to be smarter about your transition.
Very Useful - But where's the resources? May 26, 2007
This is a very good book and I would recommend it to anyone taking on a new role. I found it to be clear and has some very useful advice about dealing with your new boss and reports, and what kind of mind-set to adopt. very useful. I gave it only 4 stars however because at the end of the book he touts all the great resources you will find at [...] that you can use and share to get everyone on the same page. Well, there are no resources there that I could find (except to purchase more of his books). I was very disappointed, enough to feel it takes away from the book.
One of the better "How to" Books out there March 17, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book is a must read for anyone starting a new corporate job, especially if you manage people. The recommendations aren't rocket science but they are very useful. Moreover, the book provides an actionable framework that you can actually apply when you start a new role/job. The chapters on assessing the situation, aligning with your boss and evaluating your team are very useful in creating your own 90 day plan. The book is well-written and a quick read...you won't regret the investment!
Good resource! March 16, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book gave me a good framework when I started my new job. We all want to have a solid strategy but often fall short. I highly recommend this book to anyone starting in a new organization or moving up in their existing one.
 The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders March 11, 2007
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Excellent publication for new leader.
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