Common Sense Is Not Common

When one is hired at a senior level, we usually overlook such details as we try to "wing" things when we act on common sense. But common sense is not common to all. Here are some reminders to be better at our role and bring the best versions of others as well as ourselves.

1. Check our ego at the door and keep the ‘been there–done it before” attitude under wraps. We may have truly been there and done it, but that doesn’t mean the new work environment won’t have its own ‘flavor of the day’ that will require us to dream up unique solutions.

2. In our early days on the job, dig into the nits and grits of the business we’re running. Roll up our sleeves. Get our hands dirty. Build our own understanding of our department, function, and areas from the bottom up.

3. Spend one on one time with key team members – top to bottom and listen to what they have to say. Assume everyone we meet is a potential teacher. Be humble.

4. Ask questions. Lots of questions. Big strategic questions. Small procedural ones. Be curious.

5. Venture out beyond the confines of our office or the executive floor. If our team is remote, visit them. Learn people’s names, their faces, a little bit about them – beyond just our administrative assistant and our direct reports. Know who’s who and who’s doing what. Observe.

6. If our boss gives us advice/suggestions, take them seriously. Implement them as best we can if it make sense. They are windows into your boss’s thinking and expectations of us. If they don’t make sense, then circle back and have that conversation with our new boss. The first few months are a get to know period – so expect a lot of back and forth.

7. Take notes on our findings, our conclusions and possible solutions. We should be building our plans for our areas from the moment we step in the door, defining our value add in this new role along the way.

8. Be honest – with ourself, our people, our boss. Make it one of the hallmarks of our operating style.

If we follow these steps, we can improve our chances of holding onto our senior position long enough to add value and become a hiring success story – a “keeper.”