How to Succeed as a New
Employee
All material on
yourofficecoach.com is copyrighted to Marie G. McIntyre. All rights
reserved.
May be reproduced
with copyright and attribution to
www.yourofficecoach.com.
Many people excitedly
start a new job, then rapidly become disillusioned or find that they are
failing. If you are about to join a new organization, here are some
suggestions for making a successful transition.
1.
Find out what’s expected of you.
You were hired for some
specific reasons, and you need to find out what they are. Ask your new
boss why you were chosen for this position. What skills, knowledge, or
experience did they feel would add value? Then agree with your manager
on your goals and get a clear understanding of the results you are
expected to deliver.
2.
Look for “culture clues”.
When you join a new
organization, you are entering a different world with different habits,
norms, practices, and behaviors. You need to quickly figure out “how
things are done here”. Study the words, actions, policies, and
practices of your new environment and determine how best to fit in. If
you have switched industries, professions, or sectors (public vs.
private), this is doubly important.
3.
Don’t assume that “different” means
“wrong”.
The culture of your new
organization and the leadership style of your new boss are probably
different from whatever you were accustomed to before. The key word
here is “different”. If you assume that your previous experience was
“right” and your new situation is “wrong”, you will be doomed to fail.
4.
Start doing homework on your industry or
field.
If you are
in a new industry or have moved from business to government (or vice
versa) take every opportunity to learn as much as you can about your new
environment. Read, look for online information, talk to people in
similar organizations. Be curious, ask questions, learn from
colleagues. The better you understand the bigger picture, the more
effective you will be.
5.
Get to know the people who can help you
succeed.
Identify
people who can help you reach your goals and find opportunities to
interact and get to know them. This may mean chatting at the coffee
machine or involving them in a project. With those who will clearly
become collaborative partners, schedule meetings immediately to discuss
your future working relationship.
6.
Make a positive impression without showing
off.
When you
interact with your new colleagues, think about the impression you are
making. Show an interest in their work and ask questions to learn more.
Be friendly and approachable. Bragging about your own accomplishments
or the superiority of your previous organization will immediately turn
people off.
7.
Be prepared for encounters with executives.
If you
have exposure to higher-level executives, be aware that they usually
form impressions from small amounts of interaction. So when you
encounter them, be prepared with an intelligent business question to ask
or an interesting piece of information to share. They are then likely
to remember you favorably.
8.
Seek out opportunities to contribute.
As a newcomer, your
“fresh eyes” allow you to spot problems that need to be solved or
improvements that could be made. Propose changes without demeaning the
work of those who came before.
9.
Get along with everyone.
Successful
people are able to get along with all kinds of coworkers, regardless of
how difficult or unpleasant they may be. You do not have to like or
agree with your colleagues, but you should be consistently professional,
pleasant, and cooperative.
10.
Disagree without being disagreeable.
Master the art of
constructive disagreement. Turn potential conflicts into
problem-solving discussions. If you don’t know how to do this, look for
helpful books on the subject. Avoid becoming defensive about your
actions or territorial about your work.
As
the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first
impression. When you start a new job, the things you say and do in the
first few days or weeks will be long remembered. So make a conscious
decision to set yourself up for success.
Copyright Marie G.
McIntyre. All rights reserved. May be reproduced with copyright and
attribution to
www.yourofficecoach.com .
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