Put away the blazing guns

When I finished my bachelor’s degree, I thought I could take a bit of a break from learning. Not too much to ask after 17 straight years of it, right? So, I entered the workforce absolutely sure that I knew the best way to do most things.

I would come into a job – guns blazing – and immediately begin doing things differently than how they’d been done before. Efficiency. That was my brand. Who cares about the ‘why’ behind how things were done. These people clearly didn’t know what I knew.

It took about three jobs to beat that out of my head. When I finally developed the humility and patience it takes to begin by listening and observing, there was sunshine, rainbows, and angels singing – well, no. No, there weren’t angels. But there was respect instead of eye rolls and whispers. I became the strategist – the problem solver. And that’s exactly where I wanted to be.

Don’t come into a new position feeling like you have to immediately make a splash. Learn why things are done the way they are. Learn the people and the culture. Respect the experience of those who came before you. And you’ll find yourself much better equipped to make a real difference with your team.