CONNECTING WITH NEW SURROUNDINGS

Change in the workplace is a common story these days. Any new environment can be as scary as it is exciting. You don’t know the people and you don’t know the organization. More to the point, you don’t know how you’re going to be treated or how successful you will be in your new role. If you think this seems daunting, know that this period of uncertainty won’t last forever. Just like your first day of school, you’ll soon learn how to navigate the new landscape easily.

For five years, Monica supervised a support team in a successful department of her organization. The roles and responsibilities of her team members were well-established and work routines were just that—routine. There were five team members who worked well together and knew exactly how to accomplish their work. The team ran like a well-oiled engine.

Monica was informed that some organizational changes were being made. She was placed in a similar supervisory role in a new department of the organization that she knew little about. The rest of her department was dispersed to other new organizations, with two moving to Monica’s new department. Monica and these two employees now joined with others from across the company to form a team. This new team was focused on delivering a different type of service than her previous group, and the expectations were not entirely clear at the outset. She was now supervising a smaller team, leaving her and other team members to take on additional work responsibilities.

Monica was unsure of the new department’s mission, and she wasn’t familiar with the people or the projects being performed. Her first step was to assess the situation. She asked for clarity about her role and her supervisor’s expectations. Armed with this perspective, she set out to get familiar with the work. Monica read project plans and reviewed any contract documentation she was able to get her hands on. She scheduled meetings with colleagues in the organization to learn more about their roles and active projects. Since her team was responsible for supporting the organization, she made sure to ask specifically about how she could help them conduct their work or manage their projects. She also provided them with information about her team and their experience, offering help wherever needed.

Communicating with others in the organization soon provided Monica with the information she needed to build a roadmap for success for herself and for her team. Being flexible to the new environment and engaging in open dialogue with others, she was able to chart a clear path to how her new department could best support the organization.