Whenever someone take up a new role, the expectation is to get on board and be effective as soon as possible. In many organization, the on boarding process takes about a week.
It is a week of knowing who is who, the team’s processes and the tools of trade. After which, the person is left alone to fend for themselves in the new role.
A one week on boarding is definitely insufficient. In my experience, many resources would need about six months to be effective in the new role.
I beleive the time needed to be effective can be reduced. At the same time, there must be a change of mindset. The job holder has to take ownership of the progress.
To be effective in your new job, you need to know where you have to be effective.
1. Study the team and organization, map out all the people regardless of ranks whom you will have direct communication in your job. They could be your team members, leadership team, secretary etc.
2. Setup a one on one meeting with all the individuals. During the meeting, introduce yourself, get to know the person and ask how can you help them to be successful.
3. Revisit the job description, there are surely gaps between your skill sets and the job expectation. Check with your hiring manager for clarification if you are unsure. Take note of the gaps.
4. Setup a training plan to address the gaps. Sign up for all the necessary internal trainings. If you require external training, please discuss with your hiring manager. Only go for external training when you have exhausted all the internal trainings. Seek feedback on a regular basis from your team and manager.
5. Set up milestones and manage expectations from the hiring manager. Have a candid discussion on your progress and performance. Take note and sign off the discussion.
6. Rinse and repeat the above steps for 100 working days.
If you follow the plans above, you will integrate into the new role in record time.
What if you are looking for a job or planning for an interview? Prepare the interview with the framework in mind. Explain to the hiring manager how you would approach the job if you are hired for the role.
Your interview would be more interesting and it indicates to the hiring manager, you are serious about the job and ready to take on the challenges.
By Simon Ng
