Transition to a job in a new company is at times analogical to a migration to a new city or even a new country if it is in a different industry. It is expected that each company speaks its own language, has its own set of acronyms, and not the least, its own set of culture, and attributes of top performers. There could be tons of commonality, just like each spoken language has its vocabularies for “thank you”, “please”, “can do”, one just needs to find the mapping.
Here are some thoughts on surviving the transition:
– Say “Yes”. There are many situations that can start with a Yes, but with a different answer at the end.
– Develop questions to ask. “Asking the right questions” is half way getting the right answers. Good questions are those that can help others to think through and come up with answers.
– Don’t be bogged down by unfamiliarity of acronyms – we don’t understand every word either in our native l
anguage.
– Add values whenever opportunities arise. This is where credibility starts.
– Find common grounds and/or objectives. This helps teamwork and unity.
– When things do not make sense, the new company has the benefit of doubt that there is different way of doing things.
– Avoid criticizing people and process. It does not make you an effective player.
– Convince yourself people are smarter than the problems you see (if nothing else, they know the company and environment better). It can be done with an open mind.
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