Starting a new job is an exciting time, fuelled with new possibilities for growth, relationship building and achievement.
And yet, new beginnings are not without challenges and uncertainties that may overshadow your success in your initial onboarding period. In fact, numerous studies have shown that close to 30% of new employees have reported leaving their new job within the first 90 days.
So why is that?
For starters, a typical learning curve to get fully adjusted in a new job is approximately 3 months. Even if it is a role you are somewhat familiar with, learning a new company culture and team dynamic will take some time to get comfortable with. It is only around the 3 month mark where you begin to get into a groove and truly feel a sense of ease and familiarity in the mandate of your role.
And perhaps more importantly, it is within these first few months that you will set the foundation, and precedent, for what you want to be known for.
The importance of the latter cannot be overlooked nor overstated.
Peak performers understand that every day counts in the impression, perception and reputation they establish for themselves within a new job or role.
They bring a level of intentionality in their approach to focus on what matters most, and they pay close attention to the micro-actions that create a successful compounding effect over time.
Thriving in your new job is about focusing on the right things, not everything. You want to set the right tone early on, manage expectations well and get clear on how you are being evaluated for success. When done effectively, this will directly accelerate your growth curve leading to faster promotions and salary raises.
For example, my client Preston secured his next-level promotion within just 4 months after starting his new job we landed together, and secured another promotion less than a year later. This makes 3 promotions total in a 2 year time span which has been life-changing for him, both in growth and income.
This does not happen by accident but, rather, through intentional and focused strategy that elevates your visibility, relationships and impact.
Whether you are transitioning to a new company, a different department, or advancing within your current organization, thriving in your new job is essential for your long-term success and fulfillment.
Here's how.
Key mistakes when starting a new job
Taking on any new role, whether a new job or position, is an important moment to build your reputation and perception, while leveraging both your hard and soft skills to deliver in it effectively.
By preemptively addressing common challenges you may face, not only do you enhance your adaptability and resilience but also set a solid foundation for the growth path you are working towards.
With that in mind, here are 5 mistakes to avoid when entering into a new job or role:
β Overlooking the importance of onboarding: Skipping or passively engaging in the onboarding process can lead to misunderstandings about your role, team dynamics, and organizational culture. Take the time to familiarize yourself with company policies, procedures, and expectations and ask a lot of questions. If the onboarding is lacking from the company's standpoint, share the exact areas you need more support on to be able to ramp up in your role.
β Resisting change: While it is natural to feel uncomfortable with change, resisting new ways of working can limit your adaptability. Embrace change as an opportunity to learn and grow professionally, while also gaining intel as to why things may be done a certain way. Do not be that person who comes in wanting to change everything as this easily comes off as disrespect to those there before you and hinders the relationships and trust with your new team.
β Neglecting relationship building: Building strong relationships with colleagues, supervisors, and stakeholders is essential for collaboration and support. Invest time in networking, seeking mentorship, and understanding team dynamics as this is just as important as performing well in your job tasks. This is easily one of the biggest mistakes I see people make who go into a new job head down in the work, without realizing the importance of people knowing who they are and the business results they create.
β Lacking clear goals: Without proper goal setting, it will be challenging to measure progress and align your efforts with the company's bigger priorities. This should not be something that you wait to learn from your boss. Rather, you will want to have conversations about this early on to set the stage, discuss your target milestones and align on expectations on how your success will be measured.
β Avoiding feedback: Whether positive or constructive, feedback is invaluable and will directly boost your confidence in a new job. Actively seek it out from your boss and teammates to identify areas for improvement and celebrate your wins. Do not be afraid of asking for feedback in case it is something you do not want to hear. Remember, just because you do not ask for feedback does not mean the other person is not thinking it. That said, if you hold back on this, you are preventing yourself from actioning the feedback that could improve your effectiveness in your role.
3 keys to thrive in your new job
1/ Manage your boss
Your manager will undoubtedly play an integral role in your success track of your new role. With that in mind, here are 4 decision factors to action with your boss as early on as possible:
β Decide on the ideal communication approach
For example, is he/she primarily relying on email as a form of communication exchange with you? Does he/she prefer an internal messaging platform instead? How should you best reach him/her in the case of urgencies? Will you have a weekly touchpoint to align on priorities, consolidate your asks and be respectful of their time?
β Decide on the desired level of involvement across contexts
For example, where does he/she want to be involved? Where do you have full autonomy? When does he/she need to provide approvals? Where can you push the envelope? Getting clear on this will avoid unnecessary miscommunications, conflict and frustrations for both of you.
β Decide on key milestones as a clear 30, 60, and 90 day roadmap
For example, what are his/her expectations of you across those respective timelines? What kinds of results does he/she want you to hit? What specific metrics are being used to measure and evaluate your success in this role? This information will ensure you focus your time and energy on the right things and in a way that contributes to your development goals.
β Decide on low-hanging fruit opportunities
For example, what are key pain points you can already problem-solve to get some quick wins under your belt? What are areas of the business where you can further support your manager by adopting a "divide and conquer" mentality? Doing this will position you as an ally to your boss by making their life easier and impacting the business positively early on.
Pro tip: Be sure to ask for feedback regularly. You do not want to get so far into your role or projects without ensuring you are on the right track with respect to your boss' expectations. When in doubt, ask. Doing so will also help you feel validated and more confident in your position rather than overthinking about whether you are are doing a good job.
2/ Nurture strong relationships
Peak performers recognize that building strong relationships with direct and indirect team members allows for far greater impact, rather than going at it alone both when starting a new job and well beyond that point.
Networking must remain an always-on strategy and is essential across all levels of seniority to further bolster your visibility and exposure within the organization.
It is not only about who you know but who knows you. You do not want to run the risk of doing great work and yet no one actually knows about it.
Here are 5 action steps to focus on relationship building and facilitate your integration within the broader teams you work with:
β Set up introduction meetings
Do so firstly with your immediate team members followed by those in different functions but with whom you will collaborate with regularly. The purpose of these initial meetings is to capture their role and responsibilities, how they compliment your own work and how should should collaborate together to achieve target outcomes. Your aim is to gain direct insight into how success in their role is measured and uncover the ways in which you can support them in your working relationship.
For example, you could say something like "I know we will be working closely together. What is 1 area you would like me to support you on most when it comes to X?" or "What metrics are most important for you in the success of your role, and how can I support you in achieving that?".
β Identify areas of improvement
Avoid coming off as the "know it all" new person, assuming that your know-how is better than past, or current practices. No one likes that person who comes into a new position trying to change everything. Instead, demonstrate respect for the teams that precede you and inquire about areas that they would like to improve. This will allow you to uncover opportunity areas that you can integrate back into your own recommendations that will gain more buy-in from those you work with.
β Be a team player
People want to work with others who are pleasant, helpful, open-minded and generous. Embodying these qualities will take you far among your newfound peers.
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You may face others who resist, or outright reject, ideas you propose on the basis of how long they have been there, or if a similar suggestion has been tried unsuccessfully in the past. If you get pushback on your new ideas, follow up with "interesting, what makes you say that?". Doing so will prompt your peer to defend their point of view or at the very least, provide greater context as to why the idea faces opposition. This will inevitably provide you with the opportunity to substantiate your view with more data or facts that warm them up to the suggested path.
β Communicate openly and proactively
Clear and open communication will allow you to prevent miscommunications, overlap of work or unnecessary inefficiencies. This is particularly important for support functions who are outside of your immediate team and likely have different priorities than you, but with whom you need to work with closely.
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For example, if you are in marketing and work closely with supply chain to launch products to market, you will need to be clear on what their processes and requirements are of you, along with deadlines to achieve, to avoid surprises that backfire on your deliverables. Practice intentional listening, express your thoughts clearly, and be approachable to colleagues seeking your input.
β Show appreciation and gratitude
Recognize and appreciate your coworkers' efforts. A simple "thank you" can go a long way in building meaningful relationships. You can also use this as an opportunity to appreciate their knowledge, recognize the historical context they provide, and highlight the ways they have supported you thus far in your learning curve. Kindness creates a positive ripple effect that will lead coworkers to support you even further down the road.
Pro tip: Do not be shy to ask for help. It is normal to have knowledge gaps when starting a new role. That said, when you do ask for help, be sure to show your resourcefulness of what you have done on your end first and then explain where you need more support.
For example, "I have been able to work through X part of the project so far. That said, I am facing a challenge on Y as I am unsure on where to find this information. Could you point me in the right direction or share more on how to complete that last part? I would really appreciate that".
3/ Embrace the company culture
Alignment with company culture is not something typically voiced out loud when starting a new job. Nonetheless, it is the cement that brings everything together.
While company culture likely served as a significant consideration factor in choosing this new job or role, it does not stop here. It is a key component in fuelling your success once in the role.
In fact, there are often key clues within the culture itself that will help you identify what your leadership team values most in grooming internal talent and where their focus lies.
With that in mind, here are 3 considerations in how to leverage company culture to your advantage in your new job or role:
β Outline the core values and competencies
Every organization holds values they abide by - whether publicly stated or privately woven into the fabric of its day-to-day dynamics. It is critical to tap into these values to elevate yourself within the company.
For example, if your company emphasizes innovation, demonstrate an aptitude that highlights a forward-thinking approach through your projects and communications. If your company emphasizes collaboration, showcase how you work well with and inspire others in your daily workflow.
β Understand meeting structures and expectations
Getting a lay of the land with respect to internal meetings is frequently destabilizing and time consuming. Take the time with your boss and team to gain clarity on what the typical meetings include; their cadence, the required involvement from you and how to approach next steps that arise from them.
Fully understanding the structure of these meetings will allow you to speak up more confidently, while also actively contribute to the conversations. It will also help avoid feeling lost in these settings that are important for you in building your perception and reputation with key stakeholders.
β Protect your time
Your time is your most precious asset; others may willingly, or unwillingly, take advantage of it.
For example, you may be asked to complete tasks that fall outside your responsibilities but for which you do not know any better. This inevitably cuts into your time that could otherwise be used towards work that you are actually evaluated against. Loop in your boss for clarity on whether this should fall into your camp instead of taking it on by default.
Peak performers understand the importance of controlling their time in order to execute with excellence as it relates to company culture.
How you choose to manage your time will be indicative of how quickly, and effectively, you deliver in your new role. Leverage weekly status meetings to prioritize your projects and tasks with your boss, set realistic goals tied to your milestones, minimize distractions that cut into your productivity and learn to say no.
Lastly, avoid overcommitting yourself or taking on too much too soon as this will become difficult to backpedal from after people come to expect this of you. As much as you may want to "prove yourself" in your role, it is far more important to set the right baseline for the capacity of work you take on. This will allow you to deliver quality results instead of spreading yourself thin and risk burning yourself out.
How will you thrive in your new job?
Succeeding in your new job requires dedication, adaptability and proactivity. You must go beyond simply doing great work and implement my 3 key strategies above which directly influence how you show up, the impact you create and the reputation you build. Embrace the challenges that come your way, seek support when needed and never stop striving for excellence.
You've got this!
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This week's mission is grounded in practical and impactful steps to help you thrive in your new job or role. Dedicate uninterrupted time at home or on a walk to answer the questions below, and get ready to take action to set yourself up for the most success.
1/ Reflect on your biggest struggles in starting your new job or role (past or present):
- Be as specific as you can in both how you are feeling and where these struggles are stemming from (i.e. lack of training, poor communication, unclear expectations, etc.).
- Identify which aspects of these struggles are within your control to improve.
2/ Manage your boss:
- Decide on the ideal communication strategy with your boss and ask about the individual objectives you are being evaluated against.
- Get clarity on your 30, 60 and 90 day milestones so you can focus your time and energy on the right things. Do not be shy to ask for feedback as you progress.
- Discuss pain points that you can further support your boss with and aim to get 1-2 quick wins within your first 2-4 weeks in the role in improving those areas.
3/ Nurture your relationships and embrace the company culture:
- Prioritize 5-10 internal stakeholders for integration meetings with the goal of building a support system and internal allies within your first month in the role.
- Note down the top 3 company values to integrate in your day-to-day in how you deliver in your work. If in doubt, talk to your boss for more insight on this and inquire if these are areas you are specifically evaluated against.
- Ask your boss and teammates about respective meeting structures and cadence to get clear on your involvement and implication in each one. This will help you to be best prepared going into them.