Consultants need to be expert at fitting in and getting on with new teams. In this article Huw Hilditch-Roberts, Director in Charge of the Institute of Consulting, draws on lessons from consulting to give us his top ten tips on how to fit in and get on in your latest role.
Whether you’re a consultant on a new assignment or have just navigated the recruitment and interview process to snag your ideal job, new joiners face many challenges. All of these challenges are manageable if you can do two things at the same time: fitting in and getting on.
‘Fitting in’ is about the relationships you build at work, enabling you to find out who to go to for information and who best to ask for constructive feedback, which can in itself open doors and create opportunities. To fit in, you should always be aware of the culture and language of the people you will be working with and show them that you can adapt to the way they do things. ‘Getting on’ is all about being able to deliver – confirming the company’s view that you are the right person for the job.
Being able to both fit in and get on will take you a long way towards success in your new role. Our top ten CONSULTING tips below are a valuable guide for anyone who has recently started, or is just about to start, a new role.
1. CONTACTS: Find out which contacts in your office can help you do your job better. Start by asking your employer which staff are your best points of contact for information then get in touch with them to introduce yourself and let them know they have been recommended as good contacts within the office. That way, if they can think of someone else as a good contact they can point you in their direction, allowing you to start building up a chain of office contacts.
2. OPEN: Be open to all social invitations and make an effort to join in with every social activity or event. It’s not just about what you enjoy doing but what social events are available for you to take advantage of in getting to know your colleagues better. Don’t be shy about asking if you can join a group for lunch or evening drinks – if they haven’t invited you, it’s not because they don’t want to but that they just aren’t used to including you in their plans, yet. Making the first move proves that you want to be included and are open to invitations, which will encourage your colleagues to make them and get to know you better.
3. NEEDS: Help people get to know your needs and preferences in the work environment. As you’re fitting into the office and getting to know your colleagues, make sure that they are also getting to know you. Be prepared to adapt if you are at odds with the rest of the office but otherwise just letting people know your preferences is a good way of avoiding future arguments.
4. SCHEDULE: Create a plan to build on your initial networking. After making initial contact with colleagues, you should really have a mutually beneficial scheme set up to follow your introduction to them and establish firmer working relations. Offering them something that they might be interested in or need is a good way to keep the pro quo going and ensure you and they are linked by mutual benefit.
5. UNDERSTANDING: Ask for feedback on how you’re doing so you understand what, if anything, needs to be improved or changed. A standard company induction usually covers the basics so, to get more information and a clearer understanding of your office’s underlying culture, you really should get feedback from your colleagues for an ‘insider’s view' on how you are working compared to how the company or office works as a whole.
6. LEADERS: Who are the leaders in your company / office? Ask colleagues who they know as one to get things done as these ‘movers and shakers’ can help you understand what is needed to achieve success within your new company. Essentially, these individuals have already done just that and are now recognised as leaders within the office.
7. TEACHERS: Find a good coach to help you in achieving your goals. It’s not a sign of weakness to have a coach supporting you in reaching your business performance objectives these days. Rather, it is an essential part of ensuring you are ‘on the map’. Although it may be better to have someone neutral outside the company coach you, anyone who has a good knowledge of your company and understanding of its business can help provide the insight you need to get ahead.
8. INDICATORS: Set out personal and business key performance indicators (KPIs) that you can achieve within a realistic time frame. Having your own KPIs keeps you on track and you should revisit them every few weeks to ensure you are continuing to focus on what is most important to you within your new role. As your understanding of the role develops you may find that some KPIs are unreasonable – the important thing to do in this situation is to renegotiate them as soon as possible.
9. NEW APPROACH: An outsider perspective can give new insight into things your colleagues take for granted. This can be a good way of identifying quick wins - employers want to see an almost immediate return on their investment in you and identifying opportunities for quick wins can raise your profile significantly. Ideally, you should aim to deliver something of value within your first ten days, positioning you as a fast worker with plenty to offer.
10. GENUINE: Be realistic. Starting a new job is hard work and you will face a number of unknown challenges in the first few days alone, so no-one expects you to be a super hero. Rather than beat yourself up about any mistakes you might make, take a look at your successes so far. Make time for yourself. Your needs are genuinely as important as the company’s.
