Taken on a new assignment? Reconsidering if you made the right move?
Be it an internal transfer or an external job what you make of your new assignment defines how you progress at work and in your life. No two roles will ever be the same and not every role will come with a supportive manager and an equally supportive workplace.
While everyone wants to start off on the right note there it isn’t easy to navigate the system and there isn’t always ‘one’ best approach. In Anna’s case it seems like much before she has got into the groove she has created perceptions of the role basis what she heard or others thought. That limited her thinking and ability to press forward with her own ideas and plans.
Here are a few recommendations to unshackle those chains and carve your own path.
- Seek feedback, make your own decisions: Everyone will have a point of view but finally you will need to make the decision on what works in your capacity. You can seek our mentors or gain insights by asking the right questions. In one of the roles I played before getting started I asked my predecessor on whom she felt were the important champions for the function and who the detractors were. Basis that insight I decided on a plan to meet with each of them face-to-face to understand where they were coming from.
- Set your agenda, reset expectations: Many are tied by how the role was played earlier and that again is limiting. Some people are fine to maintain the status quo but that doesn’t get you very far. Others want to change the game but are unsure if the culture will allow. Therefore, take the time to gauge what works and doesn’t. Define your plan and get feedback. Socialize your plan with stakeholders and reset expectations on what the role will do for the organization.
- Open your mind, ride the change: Don’t let the job description straight jacket you. Don’t get pigeon holed into a specific way of functioning. It is people who make the function and not the other way around. Understand your internal and external dependencies. Know the key influencers and their stake in the game.
- Measure up, raise the game: Find out how the role is measured and can be measured by asking internally and outside. Get a hold of resources at your disposal. Often you may need to work with a limited set of assets and it shouldn’t get in the way of delivering effectively in your role. You may find that the capabilities and capacities of the team need bolstering or that many need up-skilling. Either seek more resources or realign expectations. Benchmark the role against what happens externally in a similar role and craft your outcomes.
- Get started, highlight progress: Action speaks louder than words. Align with your organization’s goals. Translate your plan into action and make tangible impact with the work you have set out to do. Rise above differences and ego issues. Get hands on with work.
Don’t let externalities prevent you from becoming your best. Go out there and make a difference.
Have other ideas on how to make the most at work? Do share them here.
