Bias towards over-communication
Do not be afraid of asking questions. The cardinal rule in being a newbie is to be always asking questions whenever you are not sure, but to ask Google and ChatGPT before turning to a colleague or manager. Remember, your job is to make your managerโs job easier. It is a lot easier for them to answer a 30 second question than to panic over rework and potential delay to timelines.
Never assume your boss knows that you are up to. It is better to drown your manager in updates than for your manager to wonder what you are up to. A helpful strategy I employ is to do a quick outline of the work that needs to be done and show it to your manager. In addition, when using collaborative tools such as Sharepoint, I like to plonk my structure down in my working file and share it so that my manager can always go in to see my progress at any time without having to ask me about it.
This is a huge leap from the academic environment many fresh grads are accustomed to. Instead of working in isolation to produce a polished final product, workplace projects typically involve an iterative process with regular feedback and adjustments.
Sense-checking
While it is important to be thorough with your work, mistakes are ineluctable. You should not let the need for 100% accuracy slow you down for all tasks (although the really pivotal pieces of work may require that). Be aware of how important a piece of work is and use that to estimate how much time you should spend sense-checking. For data-heavy work like spreadsheets, using logic to analyse numbers helps – always look for sudden outliers and zoom in on those, rather than trying to parse every single cell.
Flagging problems and solutions
Some bosses will say that they want solutions, not problems. However, it is not ideal to spin your wheels on a problem when escalating it could get it resolved. The sweet spot is somewhere between a problem and solution. Set a time limit for yourself to solve a problem, and then go with the initial hypothesis of what solution might be found, before bringing it up to your manager.
You want to bring some form of thought to your manager though – no one likes someone who just acts as a siren for problems. You must have a well-thought out logic flow and explain clearly why you are facing an issue. Bonus points if you can lay out exactly what your manager can do to support you. This demonstrates your critical thinking skills and shows respect for your manager’s time.
Ask for feedback
Be open to getting feedback ad-hoc and accept this with an open-mind. It is for this reason that hybrid work is often not as effective for learning – itโs much easier for your manager to give you impromptu feedback in-person at that very moment.
Also, schedule feedback sessions at regular intervals. These will help to prompt your manager to start thinking about feedback and give it to you in a comprehensive and structured manner when the time comes. It also provides a commitment from both you and your manager to improve your own performance.
Always remember, it takes managers brainpower and time to think of how you can improve. It will yield returns to them only if you are able to take their inputs and hence make their lives easier down the road. Avoid letting them mention the same feedback twice – this is often a fatal point for careers and your manager’s trust in you as someone coachable. You want to show that they are not wasting time to give you feedback.
This is not an examination and differs from an academic setting, where you get proper feedback at the end of term. Waiting eight weeks for feedback can be too late in the working world.
Do the small things your boss hates
The key to this is that your boss probably has a higher dollar per hour rate than you do. That is for good reason – they are being paid to spend time doing things and making decisions that will hopefully help make your work more streamlined.
As such, a good way to stand out is to take on the tasks that anyone can do, but is currently on your managers plate. Work such as scheduling meetings, if your boss has no secretary, or getting documents sorted. It does sound a bit menial and silly, and poor for learning and developmental purposes. Still, it needs to be done and should always be done by the person whose time has the least value. That said, donโt be lulled into a sense of security that you are contributing, these are a bonus and should not supplant what is in your original job scope.
Take risks at the start
Your early days in a new role provide the greatest opportunity to take calculated risks. This is when you have the most leeway for mistakes and the most guidance available. As you become more established, expectations will naturally increase.
Use this period to experiment with different approaches and communication styles. The experience you gain, even from mistakes, will build your confidence and capabilities for the future.
Have fun!
It is a new environment, a very different set-up compared to being in university. Work hard, do your best, but don’t be afraid to be yourself, and treat everyone – even the CEO – as just another human being. Create space for informal interactions with colleagues to build relationships beyond work tasks. These connections contribute significantly to workplace satisfaction and effective collaboration. That is the only way to have a sustainable career.
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