Politics. Trust. And how to nail your new job in the first 30 days!

Well, here we are. Almost one month into the 2024 Financial Year (if you're based in Aus).

What are you seeing and hearing as we move into the second half of the year? What is happening in your own world? Are you feeling fulfilled and in control of your own career and leadership? Are you where you want to be? Or, is now a good time to take stock and reflect on what needs to change to ensure a more motivating second half to the year?

Welcome to the Eating your Cake too Newsletter.

I'll be popping into your feed each month with insights, observations and guidance on all things careers and leadership. This newsletter will give you a 'best of' of sorts. If you really want to GREAT stuff, though, you should?join our private mailing list?over at the Eating your Cake too website.

We've got three HOT topics for you this month.....

1. Office Politics
2. Trust
3. How to nail your new job in the first 30 days!

Firstly, Let's talk Office?Politics. Dynamics. Human interactions.??

Call it what you will.

It happens in every Organisation.?

Have you every consciously just sat back and watched it, though??

?**pulls bag of delicious, salty popcorn out of handbag in meeting**?

Seriously though. Have you ever observed with a genuine interest, or curiosity, at the way people communicate with each other? Their non-verbals and the signals that they send through these.

Having a good level of social awareness is a critical emotional intelligence skill to have for your career success.

An ability to walk into a room and ‘read it’, for all its micro-tensions, alliances, and quirky dynamics at play, is a hugely powerful asset for an ambitious professional to hone.

A few weeks ago, I watched a political situation unfold whilst working with a client.

The body language in the room between certain members of the leadership team was difficult to ignore.

The way individuals communicated (or didn’t) with each other, and the impact that that had on their ability to arrive at a consensus and to move forward on a decision was difficult to deny.?

And this is not an isolated incident, my friend. Dynamics like this are EVERYWHERE.?

I’ll often have individuals though say to me things like:

“I hate?politics. I refuse to get involved”?

“I’m just not into game playing”?

“I’m not that kind of person. I’ll let everyone else do that”.??

But, when we have these thoughts, and likely the actions that then follow (avoidance for the most part!), we are saying that we aren’t interested in human dynamics. The way people connect. And ultimately understanding how others view the world.?

YOUR CAREER ACTION: My challenge to you is this –?get curious. Really curious. About the people dynamics at your Organisation. Use it as better leverage for yourself to understand the real dynamics of what is happening.

Watch. Listen. Observe the way people interact and engage (or don’t!). How people get to a decision.??

And then ask yourself: what constructive part can you play in this too? Where do you fit in? And what is the best path for you to ensure your relationships are nurtured, and that you’re heard, seen and valued here??

NOW...... I'm keen to know your take on TRUST.

It is such an interesting word, isn’t it??

One we use often.?

One that most of us seek desperately.??

Yet one, that for many of us, we don’t GIVE as freely.?

I was having a conversation with another client recently about?trust.?

They felt frustrated that they weren’t being?trusted?‘to do their job’?by their manager. They felt micromanaged, and as though they had no real autonomy in their job.?

Furthermore, they couldn’t understand why they’d been hired if it wasn’t to do the work they were backed with over 15 years of experience in and more than capable of doing.?

You may have heard a narrative like this before.?

Hell, you may have even experienced this feeling yourself.?

Having a strong level of?TRUST?in teams is so critical to their success. Without it, things like decision-making, innovation, problem-solving, engagement, and general camaraderie just go out the window.?

I leave you this reflection today.??

YOUR CAREER ACTION: For many of us, we want to feel?trusted. But when was the last time you also reflected on how you obviously demonstrate your?trust?for others in return???

What is something that you could do today, to show a colleague, your peer, or a direct report that you?trust?them???

Last, but certainly NOT least for this month is how you CAN nail your new job in the first 30 days!

I'm hearing from alot of people at the moment who have moved into new organisations completely, OR a new role within the same Company, and they want to put their best foot forward.

Here are my top 7 tips on how you can have a HUGE positive impact in the first 30 days if you are intentional about these actions.

1. Embrace the 'newbie' label and use it to your advantage.
2. Connect with coworkers and build effective relationships at work early on.
3. Set realistic goals and verbalise them.
4. Ask LOTS of questions.
5. Take notes (seriously!)
6. Learn the Company culture and the sub culture of the team you're in (the real one).
7. Celebrate the small wins.

If you want my expanded guidance on these tips, check them out in the blog post HERE. OR, if you want to listen in on the podcast episode about it, you can do so HERE, or on your favourite podcast app.

Navigating office politics, building trust and credibility, and being able to show up as an impact player inside your organisation is TOUGH work. If you're looking for support (in person or virtually) for you or your team on how you can all best do this to achieve better business outcomes, reach out to me HERE and let's chat.

See you next month for more real talk and relevant career and leadership conversations!

P.s You might also like checking out the work I already do with individuals and Organisations all over the world. You can download the Eating your Cake too services pack?HERE.