4 actionable tips for success in your first 30 days
Happy 2023, Colorful Connections followers! It’s that time of year where many people are kick starting their new year’s goals, getting out those journals, drinking more water, and taking vitamins, but it’s also the time of year for some lucky ones out there, who are starting new jobs!
We're so happy for you, rooting for you, and hope you are intellectually challenged and psychologically safe where you have landed. The job search process can be exhausting, and we hope you’ve been able to do whatever it is you need to do in order to be present and prepared for your new opportunity.
The question is…now what? Here are 4 mindful tips on what to do within your first month, so you can position yourself well within your team and organization at large, while not compromising who you are as an individual.
Get to know your team but maintain boundaries. If you're fortunate to be hired at a company that prioritizes a healthy employee culture and engagement, chances are you've already been introduced in an all hands or team meeting. Even better if you've been welcomed to attend lunches or invited to coffee meet and greets. We suggest getting an org chart, and reaching out directly to anyone on your team who is in a similar reporting level as you, and get to know them casually. 30 minutes is all you will need!
Get to know at least one manager who is a level above. If this hasn't already been scheduled during your onboarding process, make sure to tell your manager who you plan on meeting with, so they are aware, and you can maintain good communication with them. When meeting with new colleagues, make sure not to get into the weeds of company politics and their current grievances, try not to overshare, and just listen to their experiences and guidance.
Get to know the technical systems for your day-to-day job tasks as well as what platforms the company uses as a whole. IE timesheets, reimbursements, benefits portals, internal communications like Sharepoint, Slack or Teams, will be helpful. If you have an IT Department, there’s nothing like being on a first name basis with your knowledgeable IT contact, so feel free to reach out to them for help with installation and troubleshooting.
Track your progress. This is extremely valuable from a self-confidence and self-growth standpoint and enables you to be more prepared for when annual reviews come up. Bonus points for making sure you know what your performance management system is in your first month! We recommend starting a personal file. This is where you track what projects you’re working on, your role in it, what your contributions were to the project, along with the final product and impact on the organization and/or customers. This way, when a supervisor wants to know exactly what you've done, you have your accomplishments already prepared, and you won’t need to dig into past documents and email chains for proof of your productivity!
Good luck with your first month, and remember, this is an exciting new time! Did you try any of these tips? Let us know in the comments how it went.