My 1st Day in the Company, Now What?

As a follow-up from last month’s article The 1st Day is Key for New Employees, this article will be viewed from the lens of the new employee and not the company.

As an executive consultant, I have many 1st days, although I am a bit different from an employee.  Nonetheless, what is important to an employee on the 1st day of the job correlates to what is important to a consultant as well.

Whether it is a statement of work, or a job description, one needs to clearly understand what exactly is expected of them and communication is key. The employee should be sure to sit down with their manager and define what success looks like for them in this new role. There shouldn’t be any gray areas here. What job were you brought in to do and how will you be measured on that success.

As I stated above, communication is key.  Be sure to understand the way your manager likes to communicate.  Do they prefer emails, text, a personal phone call, in-person discussion, etc.  Everyone has their own preference and it is up to you to know this.  I worked an engagement previously where I would send detailed emails to the CEO, and he finally told me just to send him a quick text and save the details for the deliverable.  

Office polities begins on Day 1.  Be sure to listen much more than you speak.  I use the expression of “being a sponge” and just take it all in.  This will allow you to understand the cultural dynamics and who are the influencers of this culture. In a new engagement, I will do very little talking and just listen and observe those I will be working with.

Determine what is appropriate in the office environment and what isn’t.  For example, do meetings start on-time or do people come in 10-15 minutes late?  Is lunch really an hour or as long as you need? Is it an overly professional environment or more casual?  These are all important as you must be able to adapt as needed if you want to succeed in your new role.

Try Changing Your Lens, and seeing you through the eyes of your manager.  What would you expect if you were managing you?