New to the Job? Invest in People to Succeed

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

I only really learned about this skill after having a solid amount of work experience, but you need to understand how to manage people in order to effectively get things done within an organization. 

I recommend reading the book “How to Make Friends and Influence People,” by Dale Carnegie as a start. It’s an oldie, but it’s all about how investing in people, their backgrounds, their stories, makes them feel valued and more apt to work together with you to reach your goals. 

Whether you are a sole contributor or have a team underneath you, you need to be able to motivate people to help you accomplish your objectives. Because regardless of your title, there is very little chance that you will be operating in a vacuum. 

Get to know everyone in the organization, especially once you first start. On your first day, introduce yourself, ask your manager to sketch out an org chart and briefly share who does what. Take them out for coffee—you’ll be amazed how much you will learn and how helpful they will be when you need help. 

With my marketing hat on, I know I have gotten great content ideas and inspiration from talking to people in different departments. This exposure gives you fresh perspective in how your company operates within its different divisions. Joint projects are a great way to show initiative, build your relationships, and demonstrate how you are able to collaborate to making your (their) vision a reality.