In my experience...the first step is to ‘listen and learn’ (v2)

How many times do we find ourselves in situations where we’re the ‘new’ person?

…New job / role?

…New company?

…New project / client?

…New boss / team?

…New student / class?

There are countless scenarios that could be added to the list.?Sometimes in our professional lives, being ‘new’ seems to be the rule rather than the exception.?For some it’s simply a constant because of their line of work or appetite for risk.?If you enjoy change and newness, these are likely exciting times, even if not always fun or easy.?If you don’t enjoy change or newness, exciting is probably not the appropriate descriptor.

In my experience, I have more success ‘being new’ when I listen and learn first and take action second.?Depending on the situation, this period of listening and learning could be minutes or it could be days, and it doesn’t mean I don’t take action while listening and learning.?With experience I’ve become better at recognizing the right balance between listening and learning versus action.?Most of the time there’s a cycle to it that informs and guides my decisions and actions.

This certainly isn’t a guarantee of success, but it’s been an effective strategy for me when put in new leadership, advisory, investor, client or project situations.?Early in my consulting career I was unnecessarily arrogant and believed that because I was the consultant I had to come into new situations ‘knowing everything’ and ‘being the expert’.?Looking back, I cringe at my idiocy and immatureness.?I admire those who better navigate potential career pitfalls.

This isn’t a commentary on age or years of experience, rather it’s about approach.?On numerous occasions I’ve watched as new leaders or team members (young & old, inexperienced & experienced) try to impose their will from day one, in an attempt to show strength or power, without making an effort to get a sense for the people, projects, goals, what is working and what isn’t working.?My observation has been that this is a short-sighted, uninformed tactic that often fails or backfires.?Failure manifests in myriad ways…a project fails, a team disbands, distrust ensues, people leave, targets are missed, efficiency is lost, timeframes extend, estimates are exceeded, control is lost, and on and on.?Being an effective leader or team member is a result of your approach, not just your desire to be one.

I’ve had many experiences that contribute to how I address new situations.?I try to use those when I’m working with new clients or on new initiatives.?However, even when I’m brought in as the ‘expert’ I still listen and learn, because while I may know the subject matter, I likely don’t know the individuals, the culture, the current state of the organization, the perceptions, etc.?By starting with listening and learning, I’m better able to build trust and gain the confidence of those I’m working with.

Sometimes coming in as a leader or a consultant causes others to assume that either 1) you know more / better than they do, or 2) you just think you do.?That’s your opportunity to use a powerful tool that we all have access to…Asking questions.?In order to listen and learn, there must be something to listen to and learn from.?

When I’m new in a situation, I ask lots of questions to lots of people, at all levels in the team or organization. What better way to gather insight and perspective than asking the people who live it everyday??This doesn’t mean everything I hear is useful, relevant or even truthful, but I walk away from every interaction better informed than I was before.?And, equally as important, if people feel heard and that they had an opportunity to contribute, you’ve made progress on the path to establishing yourself as legitimate in their eyes.

I won’t be successful if the people around me aren’t successful, and I need to listen and learn first, to understand what success means to them.

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The “In my experience…” article series began in late 2018 and is based on the experiences and observations of Brett Simpson, Managing Director of Elevate Simply, during his 20+ years of leadership experience in large and small organizations, and as an entrepreneur, advisor and investor. In 2021 the series began including refreshed versions of previous articles, noted by “(v2)”, in addition to new articles.