How Congress Informs Your Next Job

I am glad you are here and I applaud your youth your energy your passionamp160and your diversityAlthough I have never held elective office I have been a new arrival at a large complexamp160and powerful advertising organization amp8230 more than once in factamp160 Like you I had passion and a sense of responsibility and I expected to change things immediately and for the betteramp160 Like you I assumed everyone was just waiting to hear from meamp160 I too wanted to shake things upThe reality however was that while I was hired based on my past credentials and expertise now my skills would be put to use for different goals in different waysamp160and within a different corporate cultureamp160amp160That demanded I spend time talking to listening toamp160and learning from the people who were already thereamp160 I was urged to take quotas much time as I neededquot but in the real world I had to hit the ground runningamp160 Still I am grateful for the insights I gleaned from my new colleagues and their willingness to offer themOne critical lesson I learned was that in corporate Americaamp160no one is an quotindividual contributorquotamp160 I was part of a team or many different teamsamp160 Our shared goal was to make the organization succeed not simply to be successful myselfSo now dear freshmen in Congress and in advertising I want to share a few other things I learned from being a newcomer that may make your own entry less bumpyLike me you will not have the luxury of months to listen to the people who came before youamp160but take what you can when you canamp160 You were hired or elected to bring fresh new thinking not to replace your colleaguesamp160 They know how things work much better than you doamp160 They understand the realities of teams or caucuses within the organization and how to develop your own leadership skills while collaborating with your peersYou were brought in to make your new organization strongeramp160 You bring unique skills and thinking and the promise of change that the Congress the countryamp160and the advertising industry needamp160 Focus on what you add to the organizationamp160 Think of yourself as an asset and not as a distractionYour words have poweramp160 Think before you speakamp160 No one is suggesting you shouldn39t share what you believe once again that39s why you are hereamp160 amp160But consider the culture of your new organization and the time and place when and where your words will have the greatest power and influenceWhile we are on the subject know your facts before you share your opinionsamp160 New ideas are refreshing and welcome but make sure they are rooted in more than emotionamp160 We are all ready for something substantial and supported by realityFinally retain your humilityamp160 You may have been a big fish in your former pond but now you are swimming in a much bigger oneamp160 You will acquire power and stature and we need you to become the kind of leader you were hired or elected to beamp160 It may take some time and maybe longer than you thoughtFor now you are fresh talent in a new jobamp160 We39ve all been thereamp160 Don39t blow itClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE MEDIAVILLAGE CONTENT | BECOME A THOUGHT LEADERSHIP CONTRIBUTOR

How Congress Informs Your Next Job

Author

Publish date

Channel

Archived in

Betsy Frank

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE MEDIAVILLAGE CONTENT | BECOME A THOUGHT LEADERSHIP CONTRIBUTOR

How Congress Informs Your Next Job

Enjoying This Commentary? There's More to Love

Betsy Frank

Cookies