The 4 Worst Ways to Start a New Job

The 4 Worst Ways to Start a New Job The 4 Worst Ways to Start a New Job Many companies have nurturing onboarding programs that help you transition into the organization, but ansicht programsare not perfect. As a new hire, it is up to you todeploy great new-job behaviors and avoid terrible ones if you are to ensure your success.Manyhave covered the great new-job behaviors I mention above, so I thought I would take the opportunity to explore the terrible new-job behaviors. Think of this postasa massive red warning side on a road that screams Cliff drop aheadThat is to say these are the four worst ways to start a job, and you should avoid every single one.1. Starting With a Poor Attitude and/or Lack of MotivationThe single worst way to start a job is to start with anything other than a bounce in your stepand a resilient, can-do attitude. The Leadership IQ study to which I linked in the first paragraph foundthatfruchtwein new hires fail thanks to poor attitudes and/or a lack of motivat ion not because they lack technical skills.On your first day along with the obvious requirement of not arriving late you should also avoid complaining about mundane things like parking, traffic, or your own lack of focus. Make sure you are outwardly positive and accommodating, and offer plenty of suggestions whenappropriate. If there is a problem that needs a remedy, fix it if you canstudies showthat new hires who achieve quick wins perform better later on in their careers and are more promotable.2. Neglecting Your BossStudies showthat one of the most influential factors in determining whether an employee quits a job is the employees relationship with their boss. Employee-boss relationships are also linked to satisfaction and productivity.Ensure you meet with your boss early on and quickly try toestablish common ground in terms of personality, values, ideals, social interests, etc. Doing so will help you build a strong rapport with your boss, which bodes well for your tenure at t he job.3. Failing to Manage Your Own Onboarding and OrientationPerhaps you are thinking, Isnt myemployer supposed totake care of that? Well, they very well might notan Aberdeen Group studyfound that only 32 percent of employers have formal onboarding processes.Chances are youll be left to fend for yourselfwhen it comes to joining the company,building your network, and learning the ropes. Waiting around to be told what to do may be one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a new hire. If your manager is slow on assigning goals, chase them down or write your own until your sanctioned goals arrive. If you have a gap in your knowledge, find out who knows the answer and ask them to teach it to you.4. Spending All Day at Your DeskWorking on your first day is crucial, but this study from the Sloan School of Managementfound that new hires who quickly build information relationships with colleagues also get up tospeed more quickly, perform better, and are more satisfied with their jobs. Yo u can do some networking on your computer, but face-to-face networking will help you build the strongest relationships. Dont do it blindly or stickto yourcomfort zone build a political map of influencers at the company, then get out and meet them

Do as I say, not as I did

Do as I say, not as I didDo as I say, not as I didSelf-styled reformed prestige whore David Lat gave a pep talk the other day to students at the University of Virginia Law School. (The brief video clip is worth checking out follow this link and then click the video icon on the right.)SamplesIn a democracy, voters get the government they deserve in an Information Age, students and young lawyers get the legal profession they deserve.When you are on the treadmill, you are so focused on what is ahead of you that you cant see that youre ridiculous.Essentially, Lat advised the aspiringBigLawassociates tolook beyond the rankings, both in law and in life. (Fair enough, but easy for the Harvard/YLS/Wachtell guy to say) -posted by brian

Regular Employee Feedback to Replace the Annual Review

Regular Employee Feedback to Replace the Annual ReviewRegular Employee Feedback to Replace the Annual ReviewNobody enjoysannual performance reviews. The prospect of a manager sitting down at the start of each year with an employee to dissect conduct and work during the previous 12months is daunting for all involved. Neither the employee whose work is under review nor the manager conducting the meeting wants to be there. Annual performance reviews are not viewed as effective by managers, workers, HR leaders or senior leadership. In fact, only49 percentof employees find that reviews are accurate, while90 percentof HR heads believe annual reviews do not yield accurate information. Not only are reviews viewed as flawed, but they also take a lot of time which stifles productivity and wastes talent resources that would provide benefits if they were invested in other activities. Todaysagile workforce needs nimble new strategies, processes, and tools toenable feedback between employees and m anagers. Fortunately, best practices and technology tools are available to help any organization move beyond the dreaded annual review and improve their employee performance feedback and evaluation process. Replace Annual Reviews With Regular Feedback Employee engagement is typically an ongoing focus for company leaders. Many people say that they dont enjoy coming to work, largely because they arent getting thefeedback and coachingthey need to feel engaged. Whilehappy and involved employees lead tobetter business outcomes, only around 30 percent of the U.S. workforce isactively engaged at work,according to Gallup. In response to this growing awareness, companies are replacing annual reviews with frequent check-ins. Adopting more regular assessments is a significant tool for companies to encourage employee engagement, eliminate the burden of the annual review, andoffer managers a chance to connect, listenandprovide valuable coaching. More than one-third of U.S. companies have mov ed to a regular feedback model, according tosome estimates. This move is driven in large part by distaste for the annual review and concerns about retention. The Why and How of Regular Employee Performance Feedback According toDeloitte, the thought of changing a process that takes thousands of hours a year, at an estimated cost ofmillions, is daunting especially if leadership is unfamiliar with the regular feedback practice. While time is needed to get everyone on hauptplatine with the transition from annual performance reviews to regular check-ins, or one-on-one meetings, it is important to help leaders understand why employee evaluations need an upgrade. Todays workforce wants and needs frequent feedback.Millennial employees, in particular, have a particularneed for regular feedback a demand that will grow in the coming years. Between the increasing adoption of agile project management and technological advances like AI and machine learning, the pace of work is rapidly acceler ating. Real-time feedback is increasingly a necessary component to foster engagement and productivity. Weekly and monthly check-ins also provide a way to review challenges and opportunities, while giving direct feedback and outlining achievements and stretch goals. Topicsdiscussed in your one-on-one meetingsshould include immediate workload and how employees are tracking toward accomplishing existing goals, plus any training or development opportunities that could improve performance. You can also identify team collaboration opportunities and ways to improve productivity. Identifying job competencies and incorporating peer feedback in the meeting adds to the value of the discussion. Performance Management Software Can Boost Employee Engagement Regular reviews with employees thrive on interpersonal connection and you need to establish goals and write them downto help focus employee efforts. However, important ideas can fall through the cracks if one-on-ones are held with a pen an d paper or on a spreadsheet. Although the information will be preserved, this is an insufficient way to foster improved performance. Employee reviews are more effective when zugreifbar software is used to help manage the meetings, helping guide the conversation through collaborative agendas. Most technology built to support employee performance have the added benefit of integration with existing software, like calendar functions and document management. Finding the right tools will help managers and employees gain the maximum benefit from moving from annual reviews to regular feedback. The right performance management software can help enhance the ongoing review process by providing A one-on-one management tool to help hold managers accountable for keeping these meetings and making them a priority.Collaborative agendas where managers and team members can both add topics for discussion in the next one-on-one. This can help ensure that the conversations dont always focus on the curren t workload, but also include future goals and growth opportunities.?Performance snapshots to make it easy for managers to landsee and acknowledge successes, as well asencourage improvement in areas where performanceis less than ideal.? Training enrollment so managers can instantly identify and assign training courses and development opportunities. Employees who see their companyproviding strong advancement opportunitiesare likely to beless motivated to find another job. Empowering teams with the tools to ensure feedback and performance assessment are consistent can help boost engagement, strengthen employee-manager relationships, and ultimately improve productivity while cutting out the potentially crippling costs of annual reviews. Benefits of Replacing the Annual Review Across the Entire Organization Making the switch from annual reviews to ongoing performance managementand one-on-ones can take time, money and effort. Overhauling an enshrined process such as annual performance reviews, in which the organizations leadership already has a significant financial investment, is a challenge. However, removing the universally despised annual review programassures it will no longer be a drain on resources, with accompanying negative impact on employee engagement and team unity. Although managers and their employees also have more on their plates than conducting andparticipating in regular performance discussions, the potential benefits and progress are too great to pass up. Regular, ongoing feedback has been shown toimprove the companyat every point, including in collaboration, creativity, and innovation. Making consistent, incremental improvements throughout the year- rather than attempting to fix everything during a single annual meeting- will have an equally profound positiveimpact on the bottom line, something every leader will appreciate.