Tesar-Reynes

During a whirlwind first few weeks at my new job, I’ve kept one adage in my mind to stay on an even-keel:

It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon.

On some days, I’ve felt like a chicken with my head cut off. So much information is stored on my company’s shared drive. We have clients in industries I’ve never heard of. Thankfully, my superiors have given me time to learn about the work. At this point, I certainly have a decent understanding and thorough appreciation for the businesses and diverse industries my clients endeavor at.

Looking back on the past month, I realize now that if I had organized my first few weeks with some objectives in mind, I might have had an easier time compartmentalizing all the information I took in.

Overall, I’d give myself a B after the first month of working. I had some trouble adjusting to workflow, but a strategy document I drafted was well received. (My biggest victory thus far, which I’ll write about soon.)

Here are 4 objectives you might think about if you’re just entering a new workplace.

1. Discover Your Coworkers

“If you want to interact effectively with me, to influence me…you first need to understand me.” — Stephen Covey

There’s a reason Covey’s 7 Habits has sold over 15 million copies. The line above, taken from his book’s chapter on the 5th habit – Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood – speaks to a necessary factor in any healthy work relationship.

I’m extremely happy I set aside some time to meet my coworkers, outside of the normal workday. After I was offered the job, I stopped by for another visit to meet my new officemates. I recommend anyone starting a new job make an effort to do the same. Consider sharing coffee during a break or planning for a short informal meeting with each new coworker on a Friday afternoon.

You can find out about their work, their motivations, and their story. As you continue to work with your new officemates, you’ll enjoy a much smoother relationship, one that’s based on trust and understanding, instead of assumed results and poorly communicated expectations.

2. Explore Your Work, Intelligently

Although this seems obvious, for the sake of efficiency, you might think about what you’re learning before you just dive into it.

Case in point: As my new position involves traditional PR, I needed to learn the key message points of our clients. To learn those message points, I read any press releases we drafted over the past year or so. A few hours later, I had read probably 40 releases, but none of the messaging really stuck. (Note: None of this “learning time” was billed to the client.)

And then, on a stroke of stupid luck, I typed in “key messages” into a windows explorer search box on my PC, and presto, there they were – key messaging documents for each client dating back to 2006. All the messaging I needed to memorize was right in those files.

If I had just asked for some direction before blindly diving in, somebody would have probably guided me to those documents. Instead, I spent a couple hours working rather inefficiently. So when you undertake the task of learning who your clients are, consider asking for guidance. I found myself confused and should have just asked, rather than being foolishly proud and turning my wheels for no reason.

3. Observe the Workflow

Every company has a different pace. At my last internship, it was a casual work environment. I put together status updates for account executives every Friday. When approaching others with new projects, AE’s often started off by asking, “What’s your workload like this week?”

In my new position, the workflow goes from day to day. We draft priority lists every morning for our president to look over. It helps her maximize the firm’s collective productivity. Since she gets involved with every client, it also helps her allocate resources efficiently.

I’ve heard of support staff at bigger agencies waking up at 5:30 in the morning to draft status reports for AE’s from the night before. That may seem unreasonable to someone who isn’t accustomed to such circumstances, but, so goes the job. Every firm has a different rhythm.

No one way is better than the other. What I’ve strived to do is align myself with the pace of my coworkers. How can I expect them to adjust to my rhythm? That would be akin to sitting in an orchestra and playing from different sheet music.

It will take a while to mesh with the workflow, but just give yourself time. You’ll get into the groove of things, as I have. In fact, the last two days were the first to go entirely smoothly. I looked at my to do list at the end of the day, and every action task was crossed off.

4. Adapt to the Culture

Conservative or casual, open door or hierarchal, all company’s have an identity. Before you go and do something inappropriate, you’d be wise to observe your company culture and get with the program.

Questions you might consider are:

• Does everyone usually take a lunch or eat at their desk?
• Does anyone smoke or it is looked down upon?
• Can you make personal phone calls on the company phone?
• How strict is the dress code?
• Do you need to cover up tattoos or take out piercings?
• Is it a chatty or quiet working environment?

And I don’t care how late your coworkers or superiors may get into the office. You are not allowed to be late!

(Anyone who’s worked with me will tell you, I should take my own advice.)

– Roland