ABSTRACT
At some point in your career, you may start thinking about your next challenge. You may have been confirmed for a new role within your school district, or you may be a finalist for a new position. The decisions you make during your first 90 days on the job can set the course for your entire tenure in your new role. It’s a harsh but valid lesson. The statistics are staggering: Over 64% of executives hired from outside the organization will not be highly successful in their new jobs (Bradt, Check, & Pedraza, 2009). Surprisingly, few school leaders receive any professional development on how to make the most effective transition to a new role and to how to diagnose the strengths and needs of an organization. This chapter outlines some of the best practices from both the corporate and nonprofit sectors to help give you some tools to hit the ground . . . listening.
