Ten Tips For Starting A New Job

1. Get to know people. First meet those people in your department and then those in departments you interface with. Listen more than you talk. Ask lots of questions and get clarification if necessary so you truly understand how the office/department/business works.
2. Don't try to change everything at once. Be open to learning "their" way before you suggest "your" way.
3. Get in synch with your bosses priorities. What are his/her expectations of you? Make sure you are living up to them.
4. Have lunch with different people in the organization. Learn the "unwritten rules" of your new workplace.
5. Learn about the culture. Seek out those people who have been there a long time and schedule time to talk with them.
6. Get to know the key players. Seek out people both inside and outside your area who have roles that are critical to your team's success. Ask for their support and offer yours to them.
7. Identify the critical challenges. Develop a plan that shows the way you will address your most critical challenges and the time frames that you expect completion. Share this with your boss.
8. Complete a project. Select at least one visible project to be completed within your first 60 days in the job.
9. Take care of yourself. Create a schedule for yourself that includes time off and good self-care. Changing jobs is stressful so include activities that you know reduce stress for you i.e. proper rest, exercise, good diet, family time etc.
10. Celebrate your success! Feel good about what you have accomplished. Confidence is an important part of your success in your job

-- by Alvah Parker, asparker@asparker.com

Five career mistakes to avoid

You want to be successful in your career but feel you aren’t moving fast enough or are stuck in your current position. Maybe the problem isn’t the job, your manager or lack of opportunity. You may be unconsciously sabotaging your career with one of these mistakes.

1)       Fear of change

2)       Lack of focus

3)       Going it alone

4)       Not playing to strengths

5)       Thinking small

Fear of change. That promotion or new assignment looks attractive but will take you out of your comfort zone. You will lose the safety and security of having everyone know your capabilities and track record. You have the unconscious fear that you are not totally prepared to handle the new responsibilities or have the skills to succeed in the job. Conquer this by letting go of your current identity and creating a vision of yourself as successful in the new job. Reflect on the success that you had in learning your current job and recognize that you have the skills to meet the new challenges.

Lack of focus. You don’t have a career plan and accept each assignment as it comes to you. This gives you an excuse to blame management for not giving you the opportunities to succeed. To conquer this fear, take ownership of your career. Write your goals down and create a skills map which identifies what you need to learn and experience in order to achieve your goals. Map each assignment to those skills and experience and ask for projects that will help you fill the gaps. Each assignment should help you learn a new skill or build a new relationship that supports your long term goals.

Going it alone. This fear masquerades as false confidence. You think you know everything that is required to achieve your goals so you don't ask for help or you are embarrassed to ask for help.  The danger of not asking for assistance is the loss of objectivity as well as missed opportunities. Leveraging the wisdom of others help you accelerate your learning. You don't re-invent the wheel. To conquer this one, build a support team of contacts inside and outside of your company, to include trusted mentors, coaches and peers who will give you constructive feedback, information and recommendations.

Not playing to strengths. We each have aspects of our jobs that we love and are experts in and other areas that we don’t like or have average skills. It's a mistake to focus too much on those less than average skills where we have no desire and perhaps no ability to become an expert. Rather, focus on those areas where you are really good and become known for that. Be the person that everyone thinks about and asks for to handle a particular task or job.

Thinking small.  This one is a variation on the Fear of change. You question whether you are ready to take on a leadership role or challenging assignment. You hesitate to advertise yourself as the expert in a particular skill. Conscious and unconscious fears and anxieties kick in. The author and lecturer, Marianne Williamson says “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? ". To conquer this fear, start taking small steps outside of your comfort zone. Volunteer for extra work within your current team. Ask for the ability to shadow someone who currently has the job to which you aspire. Watch not only what they do but how they do it and incorporate what you learned.

To conquer the fears of success, acknowledge both the positive and the negative consequences of playing a bigger game. Think about what you will gain and lose if you are successful. Get guidance and support from mentors and coaches. Most importantly, identify a career goal and actively work towards it. 

----by Linda Griffin lindag@clearwind.com