We've all had that fantasy
dream job as a child. Perhaps to be a doctor, firefighter, cop, astronaut,
teacher, or perhaps to follow the footsteps of our parents. It's because we are
conditioned by our surroundings. We see these positions glamorized in
children's books. Children hear all about their parents day at work. Children
are so sensitive to how they are socialized that they even sometimes aspire to
be a princess, knight, or (as my brother wanted to be) a scrubbing bubble.
OK so becoming a
scrubbing bubble isn't the most realistic job, but as kids we have idealistic
fantasies of the average work-life. We gradually discover the reality of
it. Jobs have pros, cons, surprises, and uncertainties we are not yet
prepared for. For example, the stereotypical hesitation of internships--it
generally starts with excitement, then turns to despair as you realize you're
just the coffee boy.
Going into a job, you
never truly know what it's going to be like. The culture, environment, employees,
and projects are not always the same from company to company. And when you want
to make a good impressive survival is key.
The Dilemma: How to survive in a work environment as the
new-be?
No matter how
experienced you are there are general uncertainties you have and information
you need to be successful. There is uncertainty in the relationships to be built, uncertainty in the task, and uncertainty in the one's own ability to do the task.
Best way to survive:
gather information!
How--
- Ask Overt Questions
- Directly asking what information you need like "How do I turn on my computer?"
- Ask Indirect Questions
- Ask a question related to the information you need
like "Have you had issues with your computer turning on? Would you
mind taking a look at mine?"
- Talk with Third Parties
- Talk with related people, but not the specific person
(e.g. ask your employees what are the things that annoy the boss the
most)
- Test the Limits
- Test the boundaries of corporate policies and people
(e.g. testing how late you can come in, in the mornings--8 am, 8:30 am, 9
am, 11.....)
- Use Disguising Conversations
- Often used in the form of disclosure, disguising conversations tries to extract or prompt information to be exposed. For example if one was wanting to know about why employee A is continually showing up later and later to work, one might say to employee A "Corporate asks us to be here at 8, so I don't understand why so many people come at 9 or 10 or even later!"
A similar example of disguising conversation. |
- Observe
- Watching behaviors in an unnoticeable/non-intrusive
way (e.g. watching over a co-workers shoulders as they make a copy to
learn how the copy machine works)
- Do Surveillance
- Reflecting on the observed behavior (e.g. spending the
first day, absorbing and observing everything, and then reflecting on it
all at home after work)
Word of caution:
*These techniques are not suitable for all
conditions*
Just like wilderness setting, how you survive in
the desert will be different from that of the forest.
Things to consider:
Sometimes overt questions make people think less of you, but they also get information fast. |
relation uncertainty, referent, or ability?
--Need for information
How fast do you need the information? The more
quickly the more
--Individual characteristics
Consider people's personality type and emotional
stability. Do they mind being bothered with
questions? Do they angry easily?
This is a great newcomer checklist!
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