A former colleague bemoaned the fact that he felt overwhelmed in his new role – and that he didn’t feel like he was providing value yet.
He had only been in the role 6 weeks!
Friends – here is a general rule for when you are starting a new role, and you’re at peak anxiety.
- Give yourself at least 3 months to understand the role.
- Add another month before you start adding value.
Now, people leaders should know that a new candidate will need knowledge uplift time. So if you are a people leader, please do keep reassuring that new team member that they are progressing well and they are learning.
Remind yourself that their anxiety and desire to start adding value will be high.
And friends – show kindness to yourself when you are starting a new role.
Give yourself time to learn about the company, its culture, the norms, the jargon, the politics – all of which will impact how effective you are in your role. And I’ve mentioned before that the easiest way to learn about an organisation and your new role is by talking to as many people as possible.
Friends – be smart. Use this tip:
- First, ask your new manager how long it has taken other new team members to settle in and start being productive.
- Then, remind your manager (and yourself) where you are in the journey.
Congratulations to all the folks who are, or will be starting new roles in 2024!
#newstarts #productivity #value
