Hi, Jamie here,
Happy Sunday to 30 motivated, ambitious, career climbers living all over this incredible world.
Here’s one quick tip on how to discover what is important in your new role that will help you at any stage of your career.
Today’s issue takes about 3 minutes to read. Enjoy.
Today I am going to share with you a tip for discovering the skills, attributes and relationships that are (truly) important in your new role.
This is going to help you succeed by working out what to focus on and how to adapt to the expectations of your new team. Quickly.
You will find your career transition easier and decrease the number of mistakes you will make along the way. And you might even avoid pointless office politics.
Unfortunately, most people do not follow this approach because they think they already know what to do.
People assume because they have been given a new role, that they understand exactly what is expected of them.
Here are three other reasons people do not take the time to learn what is demanded of them in their new role or struggle to make actionable progress.
They have worked in a role like this in the past
The team structure is like the team they have just come from
Their many years of experience position them to succeed
People overlook the importance of asking and learning from those people around them. You can avoid making the same mistake.
Here's how, step by step:
Step 1: Get help from your existing colleagues
You can learn from those around you before you even begin a new role.
As you transition out of your current position, meet with your existing colleagues and ask them “What would you do if you were me when starting this new role?”.
Boom. You have unlocked a treasure chest of ideas from a group that is invested in your success.
Step 2: Use the ideas!
So many people go wrong by agreeing with the opinions that match theirs, ignoring the contrasting inputs, and sticking with their old ways.
This is a common human trait (‘Confirmation Bias’) but you can avoid it.
Reflect on each of the points and consider their merits, especially when they do not align with your previous thinking. Think about how this would translate into the skills and attributes you need to develop for your new role.
If you cannot do this alone and need a differing perspective, try working through them with a friend or your coach
Step 3: Repeat the exercise with your new colleagues
Good news. Your new role is about to get even easier.
When you start, you have a window of time where you can meet with your new colleagues to learn about them and the organisation. But use some of the time for yourself.
Repeat the exercise you conducted previously but this time with your new colleagues.
If you can build a trusting environment with them quickly, you will learn more about their expectations of you and what to watch out for than you would ever manage on your own.
They may even share some insights into the personalities of the people you’re going to work with and any existing dynamics you need to be aware of.
Appreciate the context in which the insights are given but, at this stage, all information can be used.
There you go. A simple framework that will help you to quickly establish what is important in any new role.
If you enjoyed reading this newsletter, the best compliment you could pay me would be to share it with others using the links below.
Thanks,
Jamie