Your email inbox lights up with a notification. You have a combination of both nerves and excitement. A decision has made about the role you have interviewed for and dreamed about getting.
The subject line includes three words.
We all can concede receiving the official offer letter in writing is one of the most satisfying feelings in the vocational journey, especially after you realize the amount of prayer, effort, and time you have spent in order to be in this position.
Depending on the start date, you may have an extended amount of time to prepare yourself for your new role or you may not. Either way, the questions now become in your mind:
- What can I do to start this new job well?
- What can I do to prepare before my role begins?
- What are some important areas to focus on in the first 30-60 days of my role?
For myself, I am currently moving through this season, so many of these reflections are still being worked out in my situation, however I believe I can speak clearly on these steps based on my current experiences and what worked for me, what did not work, and what I wish I would've practiced. This is not an exhaustive list, so feel free to add thoughts and ideas from your experiences!
- Talk to people in your role: If you are able to identify people who work in your position, perhaps at another organization or within your organization, see if you can schedule some time to ask a few questions! Specifically, ask them what is important within the role and what they wished they would've focused on as they started in the role, among other things!
- Take time to rest: It's easy to want to start your role so bad that you often miss out on the opportunity you may have to simply rest and recharge. Once you get into the rat race, there is no going back to this time you have. Take advantage of it. Go on a trip, visit family, or do fun activities. Be where your feet are.
- Names, names, names: Ask for a roster or a directory of your coworkers with their picture and brief bio, if possible. Personally, I've seen the benefits of learning coworkers' names quickly and the downsides of walking into a situation where you meet a ton of people and aren't prepared to at least know a little bit about who they are and what they do. First impressions matter!
- Listen and observe...a lot: What was helpful especially in my first couple weeks was to sit back and intentionally not engage in meetings. This is one of the tactics mentioned in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and it is so important. Specifically, observe how people come across in meetings, how meetings are run, and who are the unofficial influencers within the team. Remember, if you want to work well with people, you need to understand how they are wired first.
- Make few decisions, ask more questions: It's easy to be the person who comes in and feel the pressure to provide a bunch of solutions quickly. Let me free you up: you are the new person; therefore no one is expecting you to solve the company's problems after one week. Embrace the "I'm new" role. In fact, leverage it. You're coming into a situation where people are open to helping you and providing valuable information. Approach every conversation with a learning posture. Your decisions will be better served because of it.
- Build credibility, one person at a time: As you enter a new organization, people are wondering generally two things: can I trust your character and can I trust you to do your job effectively. I think some ways that can be helpful are to write handwritten thank you cards, find the high trust people within the organization and find ways to collaborate with them, and take a coworker to lunch or a virtual coffee. It's all about the little things!
