If you’re new at your job and you feel like you’re screwing things up — big time — you’re not alone. Most of us feel that way; that’s why so many people cite some anonymous stat that says it takes three months to adjust to a new gig.

However, your unfamiliar surroundings (and responsibilities) aren’t the only thing to blame. When you step into a new role, your positional power changes too, writes Mindy Hall, PhD, in Leading with Intention. If you’re a creative type who freely throws out all kinds of ideas in meetings, at a mid-level, that may show that you’re an innovator, but at the executive level, tossing out a dozen different ways on a situation can signal to people that you’re indecisive and all over the place. That’s because they’re not looking to you primarily as an ideas-generator anymore; they need direction.

Whoa, whoa, whoa — that doesn’t mean you have to change the way you think; it just means you have to control the pacing of how you enthusiastically churn out ideas, Hall suggests. Before a meeting, write down any and all ideas as they come to you, brainstorm any objections and how you’d overcome them, then decide how you’ll present your thoughts. Maybe that means starting the meeting with the objective of the meeting — what you hope to decide — and presenting your three best ideas, then opening the floor to feedback.

Think about how people see you in your new role, and what they need first and foremost from that position. That can help you figure out a way to more effectively communicate with everyone around you, making that dreaded morning meeting a whole lot more bearable.

 You can learn more about intentional leadership in Mindy Hall’s new book, Leading with Intention.

 

This post is part of Life Between Weekends’ Tuesday Takeaway series. Every Tuesday, we’ll share the most compelling insight we’ve gleaned from a book, movie, tour, documentary or article to inspire you during the workday. 

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