Tips on Transitioning to a New Role and/or Company

Many years ago, I worked for a CEO that lived by the mantra that the only constant in life is change… and that overall - change is good. I live by this mantra as well… although I do realize that even positive change can cause stress. It is human nature to like routine that provides comfort and consistency. Change brings about new priorities, rules, and policies. While uncertainty is tough, this is a time to be open minded and embrace the opportunity before you.

Be positive

Remember, that you only get one chance to make a first impression, and a positive attitude goes a long way and brings good energy to your work team.

You should know your personal strengths and weaknesses. This is a time to hone and highlight your knowledge and skills. To improve your strengths, understand what they are and ask for feedback on how your skills best fit into and provide the most impact to the team.

One thing I find helpful is to maintain a regular schedule in other areas of your life as much as possible to serve as an anchor. Get enough sleep. Do activities that help you feel centered as this will help alleviate stress overall and routine will help provide comfort. If you regularly walk the dog, ride your bicycle or go to the gym, continue to make time for these stress relieving activities.

Listen and learn

As a kid who moved a lot, I am big at “observing” for the first couple of weeks in a new job. This is difficult to do but pays off big. While most people want to jump in and immediately contribute, it is a good idea to understand the processes, procedures and operations before offering new ideas and improvements. You should identify the internal and external resources available. By observing and asking questions, you determine what you need to learn and from whom. What processes and systems do they use? What are the top priorities? What are their goals and objectives?

Keep an open mind when learning the way the team or company approaches processes and situations. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Also, do not repeatedly say “this is the way we did it at xyz”, but instead, frame ideas or suggestions in a way that are relevant to the situation or your team.

Remember that in your first few months, your focus is to meet or exceed expectations of your role. However, if you are asked to serve on a project or take on new duties, embrace these opportunities to show your commitment and support.

Understand the new company’s culture

Company culture is the shared values, practices, and beliefs. The company may have written mission and vision statements, as well as core company values which may have been shared during the interview process, but if not, ask for them. Check the company website to see if they have stated their core values, mission, or vision statements online. If they do not have written statements, then observe behaviors and styles of communication to better understand the culture.

As a candidate, you likely asked some cursory questions, but now it is time to take a deeper dive to understand the most effective approaches and avoid any landmines. Some questions to ask:

• How is information shared?
• Is there a company intranet?
• Do they hold company-wide town hall meetings?
• Is there an employee bulletin or newsletter, and if so, how often does it go out?
• How does the company celebrate milestones, achievements, and personal events such as birthdays?
• How are meetings run?
• Is the company involved in the community?
• Are company announcements emailed out or posted to a company intranet?
• Does the company survey employees, and if so, how often?

Why is culture important? An effective company culture improves performance which drives results. Whether written or not, what management and employees do each day make up the culture of the company.

Build relationships

Relatively early into your new role, you want to identify your key stakeholders and schedule meetings with them – after your first week – but definitely in your first month. I have found these meetings to be key in my success to establish rapport, understand what is important to them and determine their “style” of working.

Connecting with your new coworkers and team is also important for your success. Having friends at work is key to your personal happiness and is also important for personal productivity and success.

Don’t forget about your old coworkers and contacts. Make a list of the people you most closely interacted with in your prior role and let them know of your new job. Many of them will likely want to go to lunch or meet for coffee. One idea is to arrange a larger group to meet for coffee or drinks a couple months after you have started in your new role. This allows your network to meet and allows you to catch up with multiple people at one time. Maintaining a network of former colleagues and professional contacts should be an ongoing commitment throughout your career.

Be open to constructive criticism

Receiving feedback can sometimes be difficult – especially when it is critical. Remember the benefit of getting feedback – it is an opportunity for growth. Listen to what the person is telling you – don’t interrupt – focus on understanding and repeat back for clarification. Avoid questioning too much as you may appear resistant. It is important to understand that providing constructive feedback is difficult for the person giving it – as well as the person receiving it.

You may want to give yourself time to process the feedback and come back with any questions you have. Seek examples if needed. Ask to follow up in an appropriate amount of time to ensure that you are on the right track.

Remember, everyone makes mistakes when they are new to a role, and a certain amount is completely normal. Make your mistakes an opportunity to learn, improve yourself and teach others.

Create goals

While job expectations are normally reviewed during your interview, you may or may not receive written 90-day or 6-month goals. If you don’t receive written goals from your manager, write 2-3 goals yourself and ask your manager to validate them to ensure that you are aligned with your duties and their expectations of your role. Keep your list reasonable as you do not want to over promise and under deliver. The meetings you have with your key stakeholders should help you determine your goals. Keep your goals SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound).

Ask how you will be measured – is there a performance management system with key performance indicators (KPIs) or more informal coaching conversations? During your performance discussions, ask questions and voice any concerns. Examples include:

• Am I meeting expectations?
• How are you measuring my progress?
• What skills should I improve to have opportunities to grow?
• What could I focus more on?
• What more can I do to support our team and reach our collective goals?

 Conclusion

There will be competing demands in any new role. Give yourself a break if you feel a little out of control or get frustrated at not knowing everything now. Share these frustrations with a trusted confidant or someone in your external network. You should not expect yourself to function at 100 percent straight-away. Give yourself 3 – 6 months to get up to-speed in a new role, especially if it is in a new industry.  

 Thank you Maureen Iglesias - my Editor-in-Chief