Month 1: What to do with good advice

When one is ready to start a new job lots of solicited and unsolicited advice comes one’s way. There were some very good suggestions, but some odd bits as well. In my case, there was a theme that sounded almost like a song from Frozen: ‘Don't let them in, don't let them see... Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know’

Senior management is meant to be aloof and inaccessible, devoid of personality, speak in corporate cliches and never, ever show any genuine emotion. Especially since you are a woman. Or so did the advice run. Make sure you do not express any strong opinions, Kate. Make sure you do not talk too much about your previous experience, so your new team is not offended. Smile, nod, hold your comments for 90 days.

Not sure what is meant to happen after the mystical 90-day mark, but I lasted exactly 40 minutes. My team is amazing, there are real characters with strong personalities so being a wallflower next to them would feel completely unauthentic. I do have A LOT to learn, but I also bring 25 years of relevant experience that can be applied to my new context.

I also felt a huge amount of warmth from my new colleagues, and their desire to know Kate the person, not just their new CIO. The values we hold dear during diversity and inclusion conversations can only be lived through bringing your real self to work and for other people to embrace and include you, despite some rough edges. So I took a plunge without any regrets.

Of course, coming in with a closed mind or seeking to critique everything you see in the new place is a wrong approach. So instead come to learn and be curious, ask lots of questions and genuinely seek a meaningful connection with the people in your new organisation. As the quote attributed to Oscar Wilde goes: ‘Be yourself, everyone else is taken’. That’s what I ended up doing my first month in 壳牌 , good advice be damned.

Would love to hear about your experiences and the advice you adopted/discarded when starting new jobs.