10 tips to succeed in the workplace as a new professional

Whether you’re entering the workforce for the first time or just making a career change, it can be challenging to be a new professional. What’s even more difficult is being new to a very tenured team – a team that has already spent years or decades creating their culture, developing common ways of doing things and building a shared understanding between members. It can feel awkward, uncomfortable and lonely.

It doesn’t have to be though. There are several things you can try as a new professional – whether you’re new to the field, to the world of work or to a team/company.

  1. Set realistic expectations. You cannot go into a new job and expect that everyone on the team should automatically show you respect simply based on your qualifications. This is a mistake that new leaders, particularly, make all to often.
  2. Invest your time in building relationships. Internal networking is so important for everyone to do but especially new professionals. Go beyond your team or department and make sure you are building relationships with other employees and departments, your customers, leaders in the organization, vendors and all other stakeholders. You never know when other opportunities in the organization will open up. If people know you and your skills and abilities, they’ll be sure to reach out to you when they have an opening that’s a good fit.
  3. Be brave, share your ideas. Holding back for fear of rejection may be counter-productive. Don’t shove your ideas down your coworkers’ throats but be sure to offer them up for discussion. Often times, people are shy when they first start a job but if you don’t share your ideas, you might be missing out on a great opportunity. Also, if your idea is the perfect solution and you don’t share it, you could be hurting your team. Do this in you own way but know that it is more than okay to share your ideas even if you are new.
  4. Exemplify a “can-do” attitude. Don’t take everything on! Just try to be a problem solver whenever you can. This can be a breath of fresh air for teams that have been stuck in a negative, non-collaborative and disengaged culture for a long time. If there’s something that they feel has been impossible to do, you should see if there’s a way. Be creative.
  5. Avoid the drama. It’s stressful enough to be the new one and to have to learn the culture, processes and assignments that exist at an organization. Don’t get involved in its baggage too. Avoid anything that insists on bringing you or others down.
  6. If you’re going to suck up, suck up to everyone. You should treat everyone kindly and with respect, not just your boss. If you only do good things when your boss is around, your coworkers will get annoyed pretty quickly.
  7. Be a helpful team member. When your team members are struggling, have a lot on their plate or just need a hand, make sure to offer your assistance. Show that you are a team player. Others will follow suit.
  8. Solve problems. Find out what people dislike about a current process, technology or idea and think about a way to make it better for them. You’re likely to think of things that they did not think of and vice versa. If you know of a way to make someone’s life easier or better at work, do it.
  9. Recognize others. You don’t need to be a formal leader to do this. People appreciate recognition no matter who it’s from. If you notice a great skill in one of your coworkers, complement them on it. If someone helps you out, make sure to show your appreciation. If your coworker accomplished a great feat, celebrate him/her.
  10. Know when it’s time to leave. A common mistake that many new professionals make is sticking around in a job or at an organization that they know is not a good fit. Whether it’s a lack of ethics, a lack of support or a lack of professional development, know when it’s time to leave and do it. Don’t get stuck in a job or company that you’ll hate for years to come. You don’t have to settle. I don’t mean leave after your first week. You have to use your best judgment but the point is: don’t expect that time will cure everything. If it’s time to move on, then move on.

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Leaders & HR, do we really understand our employees?

As HR professionals or as leaders of an organization, we are writing policies and procedures, developing benefit plans, creating pay structures, launching employee engagement initiatives, making hiring and firing decisions and other activities that impact our employee populations. Are we pausing to ask whether or not we truly understand what our customers’ needs are? Our employees’ needs? Do our practices align with what they need to get their jobs done successfully? Are we really serving them?

I can’t help but recall a policy that one of my HR departments wrote and enforced that was not aligned with helping employees get their jobs done successfully. It was the most ridiculous and complicated policy I have ever seen. In fact, I don’t even think I could explain it to you accurately. However, my experience with reading the policy, being asked to enforce it and training other leaders to enforce it was enough to make me start thinking – reflecting, really. Did my HR team really understand who its customers were when they wrote this policy?

To be effective leaders and HR professionals, we need to understand how our practices, policies and initiatives impact our employees. Sometimes, we focus so much on risk – creating policies to protect the organization from legal action, sending communications that are too business-oriented and complicated because we want to make sure that we document our conversations with our employees or rewriting procedures/policies because of one person or one incident.

We need to remember that the key is to manage risk, not let it manage you. Don’t let the fear of the legal system be an excuse for not providing your employees, who are your customers, with an engaging work environment where they can thrive, grow and have some fun!

Don’t make assumptions. Ask a lot of questions. Work next to your employees, not above them or below them. Be creative when determining how to best serve your customers, your employees. Make sure they are at the forefront of your mind when making decisions. Make sure they have all the resources and support they need to do their jobs in the most efficient and effective ways. Make sure you understand their perspective as they are the ones on the front line.

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Work-life balance is so last year!

OK, so I’m exaggerating a little with that title but it’s only because I want people to really get it that work-life balance was just a fad that didn’t last too long. For a few years, HR professionals were trying to figure out why employees were so unhappy with their jobs and why they were getting so burned out. So, they came up with “work-life balance,” the idea that employees will be more productive at work if we can create a better balance and distinction between their work time and their personal time.

Many companies, now, are finding out that their employee’s productivity and engagement still are not improving. But, why? Is it actually because work-life balance was a bad idea? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe the world of technology and work just grew faster than companies and HR departments could keep up with. Maybe before we had all this technology and ways of multi-tasking and working more efficiently, things in work and life just took a lot more time and effort. Thus, it was important to differentiate and allocate specific time to our professional lives and our personal lives.

Now, we can actually engage in work and personal time simultaneously, which is why work-life balance is so last year. The new trend? Work-life integration. It might seem like it’s only a matter of semantics but I think it’s a little more than that. Whereas work-life balance focuses on how we can make sure that our employees are getting an appropriate portion of both everyday, work-life integration places a greater importance on how we can find ways to blend work and personal time so that both come together (rather than stay distinct) to create a more meaningful and whole life.

Work-life integration also forces our HR professionals to think about how to make work more enjoyable so that employees want it to become part of their being, their every day, their every second. The idea is that our work should somehow merge with our personal lives so that we can get the job done and still be able to live our lives as we please.

What does this look like in the real world? Gone are the days of no cell phones at work, no social media at work and no internet at work. Gone are the days of 9-5 shifts, work-life balance/distinction and dare I say, those ridiculous attendance policies. That’s right, employees are no longer being measured by whether or not they “show up” for work. Innovative companies are moving towards measuring performance based on results. This solves the problem of presenteeism, the concept of employees who are present at work but do not actually get work done.

With laptops, ipads, smartphones and smart gear (watches, fitbits, glasses, etc.), we can get work done anywhere, anytime. We can multitask too, performing personal and work-related tasks at the same time. For example, I can send a tweet out from my iPhone while I wait for my work computer to start-up or send a group text reminder about my dinner party to friends while I’m waiting for a meeting to start. For many people, technology has become such a norm for them that it is the only way they know how to focus (versus the idea that technology is a distraction). Technology is no longer a distraction for everyone.

Clearly, everyone works differently and for some people, keeping life and work separate may still be a preference. That’s why it’s important for HR departments and business leaders to offer more flexibility and more choice in the workplace. If we let people work however it is that they work best, we’ll see more results, productivity and engagement.

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Listening isn’t good enough, great leaders act

There’s been quite a buzz recently about listening skills. Many books, presentations and posts/articles have surfaced that talk about how listening is the newly found or hidden skill of leadership. The authors talk about how so many leaders lack this skill. While I think listening is very critical to leadership, I certainly do not believe it is a skill that people lack. In fact, I think many people are good listeners. The skill that many leaders lack is the ability to act on what they hear.

When it comes to being an effective leader, listening isn’t enough. It’s only a good skill to have if you know how to use it. You’ll never gain the trust or respect of your employees unless you act on what you hear. It’s great that you care and that you don’t talk over people but if all you do is listen and then let the conversation drift into the past without any action, employees will stop coming to you.

I had a manager once who was a fantastic listener. When I started, he was so kind and approachable. He never turned me away when I needed to talk about something, express my concerns about a project or just vent. His listening skills gave me a great first impression. That impression didn’t last long though.

I would express concerns about unethical practices and major performance issues. He always encouraged me to continue reporting my concerns and always welcomed me to go into his office to talk about them. However, after about the third time I had to go to him for the same concern because nothing was being done about it, I realized that he was still listening but that he did not know how to act on what he heard. He always had an excuse as to why I was not seeing results.

Here are some common themes employees hear repeatedly from bosses who are great at listening but terrible at addressing what they hear:

  • Playing the “I wasn’t aware” card: “Oh, nothing changed? I didn’t know nothing changed. Thanks for telling me.” Years later, nothing changes.
  • Playing the memory card: “I don’t remember us talking about that but I’m glad you’re telling me now.” Years later, nothing changes.
  • Playing the “oops” card: “Oh my, I’m so sorry. I completely forgot to follow-up on that. Thanks for reminding me.” Years later, nothing changes.
  • Playing the “let’s see how things go” card: “I didn’t forget about our conversation. I just want to give it some time and see how things go. I really think they’ll get better.” Nope, the magic trick didn’t work…years later, nothing changes.

So, my boss was a good listener, but it wasn’t enough. It didn’t stop the inappropriate behavior. It didn’t stop the hostile work environment. It didn’t help build teamwork. It didn’t make us work more productively. It didn’t instill confidence or trust.

Eventually, I lost almost complete trust in my manager. I felt defeated, discouraged and disengaged. I never went to him again with a concern, a problem or even an idea.

I vowed never to make assumptions like that when I became a leader. Just like silence doesn’t mean an employee no longer has concerns, listening skills doesn’t mean someone is a good leader. To be effective as leaders, we need to take what we hear and see (yes, nonverbal cues too) from our employees and act on those things. We need to address their concerns even if we conclude that they are not found. We need to provide answers to their questions even if that means the answer is “I don’t know but I’ll find out.” We need to address their behaviors and their performance even if that means having a difficult conversation.

It’s a terrible thing to listen to someone but not hear what they are saying.

Effective leaders act and get results.

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Ditch the screen, pick up an improv class (Part 3 of 3)

I was at the SHRM conference earlier this year and attended a session about how a company out east requires all of its employees to take an improv course. In fact, it’s part of the orientation process for new hires. I was fascinated by the idea and got to thinking about comedy, improv and leadership.

Instead of spending Friday nights checking out the latest movie flicks at the theater or on Netflix from your couch, sign up for an improv class. It’ll not only be more entertaining, but it might just make you a better leader.

Improv comes from the word improvise or improvisation, which is something exceptional leaders do well. Taking an improv class will teach you more than just improvising but it will also allow you to bring a whole new kind of culture to your team or organization, one full of laughter, energy, and candor.

Do you ever have an employee say something to you that is so rude, unexpected or otherwise, shocking? You stare at them like a deer in headlights, not knowing how to respond. Well, improv will teach you how to be more comfortable with yourself so that you become more comfortable with others.

This is a lesson that I have learned over and over again and still continue to learn. Improv has helped me develop the tact, the wit and the self-confidence to overcome situations that would normally make me feel extremely uncomfortable.

How is that possible, you ask? It’s not just about laughing and fun. Improv classes push us out of our comfort zones. It forces us to respond in the moment to unexpected scenarios and comments in front of an audience of peers and strangers.

Improv is the future of leadership development and communication skills training. We now have five generations in the workforce. Are you and your organization’s leaders ready to respond to all of them, build a culture for all of them and engage all of them into your work and organization? Consider using improv training to help prepare your organizations for the future.

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Ditch the game(s), pick up a pen (Part 2 of 3)

Ditch the games. You don’t have to fess up to it publicly but you probably play games if you’re like most people. Yes, adults too. Whether it’s a video game, a board game, angry birds (or candy crush or another smart phone game) or trivia night at the bar, we all engage.

I’m not saying it’s not okay to play games but ditch them for a while and pick up a pen. Metaphorically speaking, of course, because people don’t use pens anymore. So, pick up your laptop and get writing.

You don’t need to write a book and get it published. If you’re comfortable, apply to write for a website or a magazine. If not, start your own blog and write about things that matter to you, things related to your field of work or things related to causes you believe in.

And if you’re still gun-shy, then write a private journal. No, I am not kidding. Many of the world’s greatest leaders still engage in the long-forgotten activity called journaling. In fact, this is where they get most of their genius ideas.

Writing things down forces you to think through them and of course, ensures that you won’t ever lose the information. I was at the Annual Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Conference this year when Kim Ades, President and Founder of Frame of Mind Coaching, spoke about just this thing.

Kim works with many executives and she claims that the most successful ones journal, which is the basis of much of her business. I tried her free trial that she gave out at the conference so take it from someone who was a skeptic and became a believer.

Journaling is the best form of reflection and reflection is the only way we will be able to step outside of ourselves and look in. It reveals the truth and forces us to face it. When I first did my journaling with Frame of Mind Coaching, I learned things about myself that I have been able to change now and become a better person and a better professional.

Regardless of which method you start with, just begin writing. If that means writing to yourself, then so be it. Start journaling.

Just start.

For you.

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Ditch the television, pick up a book (Part 1 of 3)

Good leaders don’t just keep up with best practices in their areas of expertise, but they keep up with best practices in leadership. Either way, it means that they are reading up on what other professionals are saying, what researchers are finding, and what the media is reporting.

If you’re reading this post, you’ve made progress of your own. You’re reading this because my post or the subject of my blog interested you because you have some commitment to being a good leader. Maybe you manage people, maybe you started your own business or maybe you are that team member who acts as an informal leader, even to those you work for.

Whether it’s a book, a magazine, the newspaper or your favorite blog, reading enhances the way we think. It allows us to think differently because we are reading about other people’s perspectives or about new ideas.

Reading also makes us more knowledgeable so we can engage in meaningful conversations, better network with other professionals and bring fresh ideas to our work. It’s amazing how reading can open up our minds without us even realizing it.

What’s on your reading list?

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My first leadership lesson, courtesy of my mother

As I started this blog, I got to thinking: what do I really know about leadership? What does anyone really know about leadership?

It’s one of those concepts that is constantly changing. If anything, leadership is not static. It’s always evolving.

My mother was raised in a culture where being an elder was the definition of being a leader. The older you were, the more respect you received. It did not matter if my mother never agreed with my grandma; she did anything and everything grandma told her to do.

Yes, based on that definition, my mother should think I’m the most disrespectful person ever. She doesn’t though. My mother has come to understand that leadership is different depending on where you go because it differs from culture to culture, from generation to generation, and from organization to organization.

So, even though in my mother’s culture a formal leader was defined as someone who was older, the best leaders still had common characteristics. Think of it as a manager versus a real leader in an organization. There are plenty of managers who don’t know how to lead their people.

As we continue to explore the difference between a manager and a leader, keep in mind that the definition of an exceptional leader is going to change throughout time or across cultures, and the best of the best are the ones who know how to adapt.

So, there’s our first lesson: good leaders know how to adapt to change.

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