How to Succeed at Work
I’m feeling a little nostalgic because I just celebrated my 20 year college reunion (Hoya Saxa!). Which also means that twenty years ago, I started my first “real” job. I considered it real because I had to purchase a number of blazers from TJ Maxx for when I met with clients, I had a corporate credit card, and work issued me a Blackberry.
When I look back at that first year in this job, I recall a feeling of constant fuzziness. Like, I never quite knew what I was supposed to be doing. I spent a lot of time waiting for my manager to tell me what to do. I spent a lot of time questioning if what I was doing was right. And I spent a lot of time wondering if I was in the right job.
So many of my wonderful students are starting their first jobs in the next few months. In thinking through tangible suggestions to help them make that transition easier, I thought that I’d share these suggestions more broadly. So whether you’re starting your first “real” job this summer, or you’ve been working for years, here are a few tips to both succeed and be happy doing so. (Full article is here).
“Own” The Relationship With Your Manager
Like I said, I spent a lot of time waiting for my manager to tell me what to do. I also expected my manager to map out how I could grow and develop in my role. In short, I expected my manager to do most of the thinking of how our interactions would go. As I’ve written about before, managers have a huge cognitive load as they go about their day (and we have a tendency to think others think about us more than they do..) If you can help your manager lighten that load by “owning” the relationship you have with them, you’re going to quickly become a favorite.
One easy way to own the relationship: For the one-on-one check-in with a manager, send an agenda 24 hours in advance with things you would like to talk about, and follow-up the meeting with an email recapping what was discussed.
Push To Receive Specific Feedback
Research shows that managers hate giving feedback yet employees want their managers to give them more. It’s a big disconnect that keeps employees in the dark about what they can do to improve. Asking a manager, “What feedback do you have for me?” often results in the answer, “Nothing, you’re doing great!”
Managers often shy away from constructive feedback because of a fear of hurting feelings or creating conflict. Moreover, a lack of constructive feedback early in your career can have long-term ramifications for growth and development.
Instead, to get the critical feedback needed, ask your manager for feedback in a specific way. Ask, “What’s one thing I could have done differently in this PowerPoint deck to make it more effective?”
Make a Work Bestie
The friends I made that first year of work were critical to my happiness. And, even today, those first work friends play an outsized role in my professional life. They are the folks who I call on for career advice, who I feel most comfortable networking with, and who have seen me at some of my best (and my worst) professional moments.
According to research from Gallup, employees are seven times more satisfied with their job if they have a best friend at work. Plus, friends at work make work that much more fun. It’s always a little scary to ask someone to lunch or a virtual coffee hang out, but the potential for a lifelong friend far outweighs those fears.
Keep An Accomplishments Journal
No matter what, a first job is going to have bumps in the road. The mistakes I made in my first job felt catastrophic at the time, and they often overshadowed the wins and accolades I received from coworkers and clients. Have you thought about keeping an accomplishments journal?
Each time you accomplish something, big or small, or get positive feedback from coworkers, clients or customers, write it down. For the times when the road is bumpy, it’s helpful to be reminded of all of the positives that have been accomplished (and it’s a great tool for putting together your resume later down the road!)
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Would love to hear others’ advice for how to be successful in a first job!
And good luck to everyone starting out this summer.
Rachel
More fun things to chew on:
What else don’t I know about the workplace? The wonderful human being and incredible professor, Dr. Ella Washington just wrote a book about the unspoken rules in navigating the workplace. Definitely check it out for more ways to be successful as you start out.
What Every New Manager Needs to Know. I’m often asked what’s the #1 skill a new manager needs. That’s a tough question. Here’s a short summary of the three things I think all managers should know as they embark on their new role.
Stop being so nice! Last year, I shared the research that we often get unactionable feedback from our managers (and that certain groups get more unactionable feedback than others). This recent research talks about how women tend to get more “inflated” feedback than their male peers.
Want more tips and tricks for managers? Check out my book, Bringing Up the Boss: Practical Lessons for New Managers.