#139 - The Honeymoon is Over

When joing a new group of people, there is an initial adjustment phase.  I learned it in school as the "storming, forming, norming, performing" scale.  At first you're all thrashing around, trying to figure out who does what.  Then you start to get.  Some things go well, others do not.  By the time the team is norming, everyone is comfortable in their roles, and the team works pretty smoothly.  It is at this point that the team can start to become greater than the sum of its parts.

In my previous job, I found that it normally took 6 months for someone who joined my team to norm.  By a year, he or she was performing for the most part.  It has been instructive to me to watch myself in a similar microcosm as I joined my new company and started to become integrated with the team - both above and below me on the management chain.

As checkpoints, it has been instructive to see my performance reviews.  My first was a very blase "you're too new here for us to know what you can really do" review.  My boss took the time to notice some things I was doing well, and I got a slightly-better-than-the-normal score for such a new employee.  6 months later, I was norming.  I got an average review, with plenty of positive comments.  I had started to assess my team, to set expectations, and question how we did things.

The honeymoon period for new employees where I work lasts about a year.  No matter where you come from, there is a significant learning curve.  I brought a lot of relevant experience and skills, but I had a TON of things to learn.  After 7 months on the job, I started to act.  It was time to implement changes that needed to be made, and I went after it.  Along the way, I found members of my team who asked questions, and were interested in the change process.  By the end of January, I had made some difficult decisions regarding my team, pushed through some initiatives with the management team, and was making headway on some other projects.

I made a conscious decision to step out from behind everyone else and forge a bit of a trail.  Yesterday I got my first real review from my boss.  By real, I don't mean that she didn't take time or effort on previous reviews.  But this review was an accurate assessment of my skills, qualities, and accomplishments.  And I'm happy to say that it was very positive.

So the honeymoon is over, and that's a good thing.  I have learned a few things through this process:
1) That the advice I read in business school that successful leaders take some time to observe before making changes was very wise.
2) That the skills I grew at my previous employer were indeed valuable and transferable.
3) That given an environment with some freedom, and a team that wants to get better, I can lead a change effort.
4) That being mid-career is a very comfortable place.

The future is bright - lots of fun things to do, interesting things to learn, and people to coach.  Goos tuff.  I am so thankful that I was given a chance to be a manager.  It is my true calling.

And how different would my life have been if my brother had never introduced me to Dungeons and Dragons?  There is a very strong causal link between where I am now and playing D&D as a kid.  Another entry for another day.