A Follow Up on Transitions - Patience

Last week I put aside writing a blog post as it was my first week starting a new position. This definitely qualifies as a transition and for me at this time in my career, it’s actually multiple transitions in one. As I have started this new journey, one thing that really stood out to me over this week is something I didn’t really write about previously and that’s the need for patience with yourself during transitions.

Why It’s Important

During a transition, there is a lot going on. New tasks, new patterns, new habits. On top of that, you still have to maintain at least portions of the previous phase. This is where patience with yourself comes in. First, with so many new pieces, you are not going to get everything right. Second, some of the pieces of the previous phase are going to get missed or maybe not get the same amount of attention they may normally get. And third, it’s going to take some time for things to settle in so you need to go in expecting this to be the new norm, at least for a little bit.

Starting a New Position

When you start a new position you end up with multiple new task lists. There is general onboarding, job specific training, logistical lists (payroll, benefits, etc.), and more. In addition, you have a new manager, new teammates and new culture. One of the things that becomes even more difficult is communication. You are trying to figure out how to communicate with new colleagues and at the same time you are ingesting more information than would be normal. That is even more difficult because your teammates may be communicating with you in a way you are not used to.

If you are like me, you also start a new position with high expectations of yourself and the opportunity. There is a strong desire to start adding value immediately, after all, that’s what you were hired to do, not get your computer and email set up and do all of the little things that seem to dominate the first few days or even weeks.

The pressure comes from a desire to start checking items off and even eliminating some of those lists. Add to that all of the new things that you are learning and it’s so easy to feel like you can’t keep your head above water. Once you start feeling overwhelmed, then it becomes even more difficult to stay on top of things.

In addition to all of these new things, you have to adjust to a new pay schedule (potentially having to wait longer than normal for a paycheck), which means adjusting your budget and working through all of that. Top it off with normal chores, time with family and friends and just the normal aspects of life.

So feeling overwhelmed in this circumstance is most likely the normal rather than the exception.

This is just one example and there are hundreds if not thousands more that could cause this same type of situation.

What To Do

First, don’t put any more pressure on yourself than is absolutely necessary. I did this last week. I felt like I needed to be making immediate progress on my task lists. Instead of that happening, the number of new items added to the list was significantly higher than those I was checking off. As that happened, I felt like I was getting further and further behind. But the reality was, that was what I should have expected. Now that I’m in the second week, I’m making good progress on the lists, but I know I will still be adding more and more.

Second, don’t burn yourself out trying to get everything done in the first week. Your new manager and team should have realistic expectations of you for your first week and even beyond that. If they don’t I hope you understood that prior to taking the position and were onboard with it. Working unreasonable hours in the first few weeks before you understand what the new baseline/normal will almost certainly not produce better results.

Third, and this ties in closely to the first two and to something I wrote about last time, don’t try and judge your new normal for some time. In fact, I would not even try and figure out what your baseline is going to be. That’s part of the reason why burning yourself out at the beginning is not a good idea.

Finally, don’t neglect the things outside of the transition. If it’s a new job, don’t forget all of the things outside of work that are most likely the reason you took the position in the first place. If it’s a new personal transition, don’t completely neglect the job. And don’t forget time for yourself whether that be recreation, reading, exercise or something else that helps you feel that something important isn’t changing in your life.

Summary

One of the most important things about transitions is how much pressure you do or do not put on yourself. There will be plenty of external pressures and the last thing you need to do is to put any more than necessary on yourself. So just don’t do it.

I know that’s easier said than done but if you know a transition is coming, maybe one of the items I recommended in this post will help you. Or maybe you will think of others. Either way, do what you can to make the transition itself a positive experience.