At the break of a transition in life, how effectively the mind is cleared in order to create a mental break from an old phase of life and better accept the present phase, can have a real impact on ones' happiness. What has made success so far may not be the same in the future, so producing a clear mental break-point helps one better recognize the differences between the old job and the new. An action may range from something as simple as a massage or a fun night with friends to an extravagant trip to Hawaii or for a twist to spend an evening in the neighborhood where the new office is. Take time to celebrate the change. Do whatever it takes to get into the transition state of mind. Start perceiving and recognizing what will most likely be a new set of effective ways to think and act.
Be... in the present
One needs to be wary of saying things like "at my last company, widget corp, we did this and this and this" and thinking that's always right. No one in the new job will put the same value on what happened in the old one - what they value is you. When you get your head in the game, and be present in the moment, your mind will react with such thoughts as"
"Wow that's interesting! This is something new in my universe. Let me view all the different dimensions of this and think about it. I am not a programmed machine who always responds with the same programming. I may rely on my past experience, but more importantly I trust my ability to find the best path."Remember the proverb "doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result is the definition of insanity"? For this I would customize it a bit and say "doing the same thing over and over expecting the same result in a different universe may produce wildly different results".
Relearn how to learn
Rejoice and celebrate when you feel incompetent and vulnerable because it means new learning, stretching of the mind, and new experiences are occurring. Embrace those situations and feelings, so long as they are a valuable part of your plan. Decide to learn, or become brittle and fail…
- What made me successful in my old job and can I succeed in my new position relying on those strengths or are there new skills that need to be developed?
- Are there aspects of my new job that are critical to success but prefer not to focus on? Why? How will I compensate for the potential blind spots or lack of desire?
- What do you need to do to make the mental leap into the new position? Who can you rely on for counsel and advice? What other activities can help you?
- Find ways around those who want to hold you back - it may even be your self.
Then hit the ground running! Start planning what you hope to accomplish by specific milestones, assess your vulnerabilities, and observe what you naturally gravitate to, and are those still the right things to focus on in the new universe? Even watch out for your strengths - even a strength can be a pitfall.
Be systematic and focused on what you are going to learn and how to learn it most efficiently ordered by highest value - manage learning as an investment process. Learn the highest value and de-prioritize the lower value experiences. What's your learning agenda? Climb the learning curve as fast as you can. Remember in "The Matrix" when Neo started his training programs? Understand the markets, products, technologies, systems/structures, culture, politics. Identify the best sources of insight, and then drink from the fire hose.
- Know the benchmarks. How did your new organization perform in the past?
- Were internal or external benchmarks used? What measures were employed?
- Know people's perceptions: how do people think it performed?
- What were the goals? Were they insufficient or overly ambitious?
- What behaviors were encouraged and discouraged? What happened if goals were not met?
All of these things will help to determine likely perspectives those in the company have... and perception is reality.
Work hard to maintain equilibrium and the ability to make good judgments. It is critical to take care of your self during periods of transition. Working extreme hours and over-doing it will not help. Unfortunately, rest and renewal get no respect in the organizational world. Instead, most managers instinctively view those who seem to need time for rest and renewal as slackers. In the beginning expectations for productivity are at their lowest, so feel safe even if you are not immediately contributing. The quality of one's initial decisions and work will be more scrutinized so quality over quantity.
Help everyone
Expedite everyone - direct bosses, direct reports, and peers - accelerate their own transitions. The quicker you get new reports up to speed, the more it will help their performance. That new report is also you! Beyond that the benefits to the organization of systematically accelerating every one's transitions are vast.
High on your list may be to determine what areas such as people relationships, new or changed processes, products or solutions, can you achieve early on to cement your value in the new universe?
The devil is in the details...
Land Mines
What lurking surprises could detonate and push you off track and how will you overcome them? If your attempt to overcome them doesn't work, what would be another way to overcome? What damaging cultural or political or other missteps must be avoided.
Analyze root causes
If performance was good, why? What contributed to strategy, structure, technical capabilities, culture, politics?Know your history
What efforts were made to change the organization? What was the result? Who has been instrumental in shaping the organization?
Barriers and Resources
What are the most formidable barriers to making change and how will you overcome them? Are there existing models that can be cloned or recycled? What capabilities need to be developed or acquired?
Culture
What elements of culture should be preserved and changed?
Match Strategy to Situation
Diagnose the situation accurately and clarify its challenges and opportunities. Clear diagnosis is essential to developing an action plan.
Secure Early Wins
Early wins build credibility and create momentum. Create virtuous cycles that leverage energy I am putting in to the organization to create a pervasive sense that good things are happening. In the first few weeks, identify opportunities to build personal credibility then identify ways to create value, improve results, and get to the point of where you are valuable more rapidly.
Processes
What are the key processes of the organization and are they performing in terms of quality, reliability, timeliness?
Negotiate Success
I will focus on building a strong relationship with my new boss. I will manage my boss's expectations by carefully planning a series of conversations about the situation, expectations, style, resources, and my personal development. Meditate on what it means to develop and gain consensus on my initial plans.
Achieve Alignment
Bodies in motion tend to stay motion. Like things "like" like things. Bring the organization's structure into alignment with its strategy and develop the systems and skill bases necessary to realize strategic intent.
Build Your Team
The universe tends towards chaos, but organization creates beauty and wonder. If inheriting a team, evaluate its members and perhaps restructure it to better meet demands. Willingness to make tough early personnel calls and capacity to select the right people for the right positions are the most important drivers of success during transition. Be systematic and strategic in approaching the team-building challenge, and don't settle...
Create Coalitions
Start right away by identifying whose support is essential for success, and figure out how to line them up on your side. Success is built on the ability to influence people outside your direct line of control. Supportive alliances both internal and external will be necessary to achieve goals.
Constantly meditate on the present and how it may shape the future
As one goes through the first few months, perform repeated meditations. Good starters could be;
- Review the vision and strategy and is it really being pursued? If not, why not? If so, is the strategy still taking us where we need to go?
- What are the stiffest challenges in the coming 12 months both personally and professionally? How will I handle it?
- What are the most promising areas and what would need to happen to realize the greatest potential?
These are all demanding mental exercises and take time to unfold, so be very patient with your self. The path of a 1,000 miles begins with a single step.
This article was shaped from ideas found in:
- The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
by Echkart Tolle
- The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
- The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels
by Michael Watkins
- This was given to me by the head of Human Resource while I was running the information technology infrastructure group at a very large university endowment.
- On the High Wire: How to Survive Being Promoted
by Betsy Raskin Gullickson & Robert W. Gunn
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