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Truth 3.
Having Made the Move You Should Grow Where You’re Planted
When transplanting a seedling or shrub, any good gardener
knows that the immediate “after period” is the most
critical. The act of moving can send even the hardiest plant
into shock with disturbed roots taking time to adapt to new
soil. Humans can be similarly affected by a move. Wherever
we work we put down roots in the form of established habits,
customs, and relationships. The longer we stay in one place,
the more embedded these roots get. When we pull them up to
move our job, it can prove tricky to acclimatize to a new
environment.
The key to a successful move is to fully engage with where
you’ve been replanted. You need to let go of your old
workplace and its way of doing things, and put down roots in
your new organization by showing loyalty and appreciation.
Wally was used to going to his old boss to deal with
conflict or misunderstandings with other departments. He was
aghast that wasn’t so with his new one. It’s often tempting
to compare a new place to former experiences. However, doing
this at all publicly can lead to trouble. Indeed, unless
asked, it’s not a good idea to mention your old company at
all, no matter how famous or great it was.
A new workplace will want your skills and experience but
they won’t want to be compared to past employers, however
important those others were to your formation. This is not
just about avoiding outright critical comparison. Implied
criticism, such as showing amazement at the inefficiency of
the IT system, or mentioning how motivating it was that your
former employer paid for a week of training each year, will
provoke as negative a reaction. Your intention may be to
make helpful suggestions, but they will not be heard as
such. New arrivals have to earn the right to critique by
showing that they understand their new team and
organization.
As you settle in, your co-workers will be watching to see
how well you fit in. Success in a former job doesn’t mean
that you will automatically flourish in a new location. No
matter how well you know your stuff, there can be clashes
with a new organization’s norms and values. Take, for
example, Joyce who came from a consensus culture with an
Anglo-Dutch company. She expected that every decision would
be created after checking with all the concerned parties no
matter how long that process took. However good your intent,
a different workplace culture might see your behavior as
time-wasting, or worse, obstructionist.
Rather than looking to your past, take time to find out
about the past and the ethos of the new organization. Talk
to people who’ve done your job before you, asking about how
things came to be. Acquiring the history doesn’t mean that
you have to repeat it, just respect it. It can also give you
leverage. If, for example, you can cite how the company has
cared about people’s development in the past you can show
that it makes sense to uphold these values by offering you
training and development now.
You prove that you’re a full member of your new company with
loyalty and support for your new colleagues. Rather then
fretting about the loss of your supportive boss, or
efficient systems, take a positive perspective and focus on
appreciating what IS working. Then, once you’ve paid your
dues, you can devote your energies to making things even
better, working with others rather than against them. |
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