Be Intentional About Getting Plugged In
Let’s face it. For most of us, starting a new job is hard. Especially since a large number of us in the engineering field are introverts. That makes it hard to reach out and make connections with new people in new situations. I fall squarely into that group. I am not the type of person that will naturally reach out to meet new people and make new connections. Looking back over the past 40 years, I think those times that I was most successful were a combination of finding the right place to apply my skills and making the right connections. As uncomfortable as it was, building relationships with key individuals in leadership positions was instrumental in understanding the goals and vision of those leaders, as well as how I could contribute to the success of the team while working towards those goals.
The last two years have disrupted how we make those initial connections and get plugged in to a new team. Remote and hybrid work introduce new challenges. Maybe today’s generation will disagree. Perhaps they look at the current work culture as a simple extension of the social media world they’ve grown up with. And maybe that’s true to some extent. However, I still believe face-to-face interactions are the best way to create and nurture those relationships. In a study done by Forbes, John Russell, chief executive of NYLO Hotels and former chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging Association stated:
“Virtual meetings will never replace face time for building solid business relationships.”
A separate study performed by Harvard Business Review for British Airways came to a similar conclusion:
In order to have what one executive called "the broadest bandwidth communication in professional life," business leaders continue to believe they will have to be face-to-face with customers, partners, and employees.
Although both studies were focused on the executive viewpoint, I think the conclusions also apply to teams within the office. In other words, face time is required to build relationships, and building relationships is critical to being successful.
Time will tell where the balance between working in the office and working from home settles out, but I personally look forward to interacting with my co-workers face-to-face in the office in order to get and stay connected.
In the meantime, being successful in a new role is not all about making connections. It’s also about making sure you’re aligned with your new leadership and securing some early wins. These goals are the same whether you’re moving into a new leadership role, or an individual contributor. As part of one of my recent transitions, I was introduced to the book The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins. The key to making your application of this approach successful is a commitment to the process by both you and your new leadership. However, even without commitment from leadership, applying the principles presented by Michael Watkins on your own can still make your next transition less stressful and more intentional.
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There are numerous resources with templates and advice as well as videos on how to approach your first 90 days in order to set yourself up for long term success in your new role. Most follow a pattern and strategy similar to this book. I think it's a great way to help you and your new manager focus on getting you plugged in and productive, and I would strongly encourage you to consider it.
I think it’s important to make successful transitions and get plugged in independent of whether you’re moving to a new role in the same company or changing employers. It’s important for those just starting a new career and those in mid to late career transitions. So, when it’s time for your next transition, make sure you get plugged in, and make a plan for success. Don’t wait 40 years to figure out how to make those critical first steps.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. I’d also encourage you to share this post on your own feed. The more discussion, the better.
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I should probably come up with a more legal sounding disclaimer, but for now, I’ll go with this. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of LinkedIn, my current or former employers, my alma mater, my church, or my family.