7 lessons for starting well in a new job

My somewhat non-traditional career path has allowed me several fresh starts: a traditional engineering company like Intel, a consulting powerhouse like Deloitte, a software as a service company like WebMD, a sports and marketing-driven Nike, a hard-charging disrupter like Netflix, a multidimensional innovator like Google and now a company seeking to redefine mobility, Uber.

I have felt all the emotions these transitions offer: excitement diluted by fear, a desire to prove myself coupled with echoes of imposter syndrome, gratitude for a new start coupled with baggage of past learnings.

Given all this, I thought it prudent to share a few best practices for those of you starting new adventures or those who may benefit from these insights into the human psyche.

Listen

I cannot emphasize this enough: type-A accomplishment-driven folks like to make an impact. And while that is a valid, and often necessary impulse, it is vital that you spend some time listening to and cultivating your stakeholders. Ask them what matters to them, why and who can help you make it happen.

Listening is not just about gaining education; it is about showing respect and giving attention. It is about walking in someone else’s shoes before settling on your own trajectory and velocity.

Be patient

If impatience were a crime, I’d be forever on death row with no hope of parole or bail. Early in my career, I often compared my unsettled feelings of insecurity in a new job to my commanding presence in the job I had just left behind. Those internal feelings often manifest outwardly as neediness at best and entitlement at worst. You do not want this to become your brand, and no one really has the time to point this out to you - I was lucky enough to get this feedback, you may not be.

Lesson: Don’t judge the present based on the expectations of the past. And second, as a very respected Google colleague told me, don’t let your impatience run faster than your intentions.

Be wary of buyer’s remorse

One fundamental reason behind a job change is the prospect of finding something lacking in the status quo. Before the new job offers you that change (or closure that it won’t), buyer’s remorse sets in as you miss the things about the old job that you liked, but took for granted. During my early days at Nike, I missed the formal structures that Intel and WebMD afforded me, until the many amazing opportunities at Nike became apparent to me.

Ever since, before I switch jobs, I set goals for myself and attach timelines to those goals. Go back to those reasons - “first principles” as my mentor at Netflix calls them -  and ground yourself in the idea that a career is an investment rather than a lottery ticket. Give this new investment time before selling.

Don’t be hyper-critical

One of the downsides of modern services-driven workplaces is the diminution of the manager. He/she has limited authority and visibility, and often has hands-on responsibilities besides managing a team. This deprives newcomers of mentoring and perspective, especially early on.

Be careful of being too judgmental of things that don’t seem right or should be easily fixable “if only they listened to me.” Even if your assessment is correct, no one likes the know-it-all carpetbagger portraying himself/herself as Michelangelo among graffiti artists.

Ask respectfully why things are the way they are and suggest alternatives - if done constructively, you can use your newcomer status to ask indelicate questions and not risk political blowback. If done undiplomatically, you may judge the past based on the evidence of the present, and alienate those whose work you need to build on.

Don’t be hyper-deferential

I still remember what my manager at Intel told me in 2006: I hired you for a reason.

If being hypercritical alienates people, being hyper-deferential makes them take you for granted. You become another grain in oatmeal, adding volume but not variety. Which is why, and I repeat myself, ask “why?” Just as listening is a sign of respect, enquiring and evaluating is a sign of interest.

Your new colleagues will respect you for bringing a fresh perspective unburdened by the need to defend a legacy. You are not busy enough yet to accept the status quo. Use these early moments to ask if it is desirable and sustainable.

Lesson: In your early days, defer for a time to the status quo but do not let it define you. After a point, stop looking for footsteps and breadcrumbs; walk to where your judgment takes you.

Run towards an abandoned building

One of the best managers I’ve had was at WebMD. I joined the company in 2008 amid a crashing economy and wanted to prove myself. His advice to me was simple: find the important priorities that are getting constantly deprioritized by the critical crises.

“Everyone around here is putting out fires, and then people move on to the next fire. Run towards the buildings that are not burning, but have potential.”

I had several meetings with leaders across the organization and asked them what they needed done from a long-term perspective, but did not have resources for. Those conversations yielded contacts and context, prized currency in the modern workplace. I was able to define my role and create skills that, over the long term, yielded roles at Nike, Netflix and Google in privacy and security that were fairly embryonic back in 2008.

Lesson: Work hard for today, but don’t ignore tomorrow. There is just one today, but a lot more tomorrows.

Be inclusive

Based on your initial conversations, you will finally hit a point where you can propose something. This idea has the potential of impact and improvement, and that feeling creates a sense of confidence to propel you forward.

During this moment, two potentially devastating impulses may consume you. First, you will be tempted to pitch your idea to key stakeholders without adequately recognizing the contributions of those that have come before you. Second, you may end up being critical of these predecessors without accounting for the fact that they made this opportunity possible for you.

Lesson: great victories are the culmination of several rounds of baton passing and the credit does not go solely to the person who crosses the finish line. Be generous to those who gave their blood, sweat and tears before you joined the race.

Your early days at any job are critical: unlike your last job, you do not have your reputation acting as a levee to protect against the flood of premature first impressions. Use this time wisely.

Have grand ambitions. Aspire to not be an asterisk in the great book of life; hope to write chapters and change some conclusions.

First though, learn the language and listen to the words.