Ask Nony: Do I Need a Checklist When Starting a New Job?
Question
Dear Nony,
I would like to create a checklist of things to figure out/do/confirm within my first six-months of a big new job. Based on some books that I’ve been reading, I think having a strategy or outline will be helpful for me to make the most out of the opportunity. I think there are general things we should all know about an organization at a certain point. For example:
-How does the organization earn a profit/raise funds?
-What are the company’s key KPIs and how are they measured and reported?
-What are the unwritten rules for conduct, communication, etc.?
-Who are my key stakeholders?
-Who do I need to develop a good relationship with?
-Who needs to think that I’m good at my job?
I’m a type A-Virgo, so outlining these things for myself will help me remain focused on my goals.
What do you think?
Answer
This is such a great question and my answer might be a bit controversial. I don’t believe in a one size fits all checklist that anyone should be beholden to when they start a new job. I believe that a lot of the big questions should be answered at the interview/recruiting stage and then your key focus after you begin should be on doing your job, demonstrating capability and likability.
I don’t like the idea of letting a list or timeline inform your movements or the people you seek out because it could make you appear strategic or disingenuous and nobody likes an operator. When I was a Vice President, I would’ve been more impressed and endeared to the new hire who put her head down and did her work well and on time than on a new hire who wanted to have coffee with me because she felt like she needed to know or meet people at my level.
To properly make my case, let’s tackle each of your points one by one.
1) How does the organization earn a profit/raise funds, what are the company’s key KPIs and how are they measured and reported?
You should know this before you accept a job, and as early as possible in the interviewing stage. Knowing how the organization earns a profit means knowing how they make money and what their major costs consist of. Some of this information would be publicly available for listed companies and for private companies or start ups, you should ask this at the interview stage. You have every right to know what the company is doing and their overall health, before you commit to joining them. You would want to know if they are operating at a loss but are in growth mode (like Amazon and Uber were for a long time) or if they are a fledgling business that is vulnerable to a buyout. If they are cagey, that should inform you on if you want to move forward with them.
While discussing this at the interview stage, you should try to understand how exactly your role would play into the organization’s overall objectives or your role’s specific key performance indicators (KPIs.) If you are in sales, this is clear: drive revenue in a profitable way, attract new customers etc. But if you are interviewing to be general counsel, this would be different.
2) What are the unwritten rules for conduct, communication, etc?
A the recruiting stage, it’s a good idea to ask during what personality type or character traits succeed at the company and in your particular role as well as what communication style they find most effective? You can ask your boss his or her working style, how he or she manages conflict and so on and for details on the company culture.
Their answers will give you an indication of what things are like at the company but you will only learn the unwritten rules by actually working there. I wouldn’t want an item like this on a time sensitive checklist because you may not act naturally as you try to figure people out. It may also take you longer than your prescribed time to truly see things clearly. You’d want to go in there as your authentic self and observe. If you were to ask someone at the company, whom you wouldn’t even know that well in the beginning, could you trust their answer? We all know that words don’t mean much. Finally, I would be hesitant to take anyone’s word about another person or about the organization overall. I have started roles in the past and been pulled aside by people and told “the way things are” only to quickly discover that those people had no idea what was really going on or were acting out of frustration with their circumstances. I always prefer to operate with dignity and professionalism, keep my mouth shut, watch and decide for MYSELF. I have been burned too many times in my personal and professional life, when I blindly listened to other people.
3) Who are your key stakeholders?
This is something you should ask at the interview process. What teams are your major cross-functional partners and who leads them? Depending on your level, you could ask who would be your exact counterpart if it isn’t the head of the department, but it may make more sense to wait to understand that in your first week. When I was in sales, my cross-functional teams were the Merchandising, Design, Finance and Planning teams, primarily. Supply Chain and Marketing were secondary. I did not arrange a lunch or coffee with each of them. I don’t necessarily think it is a bad idea to but that could tie you up in a lot of “get-to-know-you” meetings and the questions you ask will be very general. What you could do is meet some, and then the others, you wait until you have had a work or project related meeting together. Afterwards you can set up a one-on-one to dive deeper into the topic or deliverable. That way you are getting the face-time, you’re being productive and you get to see their working style up close and naturally. Of course some organizations may require you to meet with everyone initially, but from what I have heard and experienced, those meetings are incredibly time consuming, too broad and not always fruitful.
4)Who do you need to develop a good relationship with and who needs to think that you’re good at your job?
Everyone. No one likes an operator. No one wants to feel that you are shining for some and not for others. That you are seeking out specific people, being strategic, calculating or climbing. No. One. Likes. That.
So throw this whole question away. Shine for everyone. At all levels. One mistake people make is thinking they only have to manage up. You have to also manage side to side (your cross-functional partners) and down because all of those people sit in rooms and situations where you may not be present. They may have access to people that you do want to impress and may hold access to meetings you want to attend or calendars you want to get on! People especially forget the people below them. Assistants, associates, interns at times hold a lot of power. You also NEVER know where they may end up when they ascend the ladder themselves. Your career will be long. Do you know how many assistant buyers I worked with who are now MBA’s and heads of departments?
You should strive to have a good and professional relationship with everyone and everyone should think you are good at your job.
So with all that said, here would be my recommended checklist:
Do extensive research on the company, the role and the culture before you accept any position.
After you accept, go in with professionalism and enthusiasm. Focus on building genuine connections and on demonstrating capability and an easiness to work with.
Keep your eyes and ears wide open for opportunities and pitfalls.