I had a BLAST talking with Andy Epstein about strategies for keeping focus, being creative and leading with your strengths in corporate (or new to you) environments. Please listen in, tell me your experiences, ask questions and share ideas in the comments.

Related posts:

1. Struggles+Strengths=Strategies
2. Conference Connecting: You’ve got their business card, now what? (Part 2 of 3)
3. Lead with what’s JUICY!

Image by frischmilch, used with permission via Creative Commons License

Have you ever felt nervous starting a new project, job or adventure? Wondered how to put your best foot forward on the first day? How about two weeks in?

When communicating with others, you are constantly demonstrating your intentions. If you can get clear about your intentions: which you have put on the wall, you can communicate them clearly. Here are some tools rocking it out:

1. SHOW UP, Attendance/Accountability:
Don’t be on time—be early;
Do what you say you will do;
Be prepared: find out what is required.

2. BE CLEAR, Phone/E-Mail/In-Person:
Phone: your cell is your business line now, plan out what you will say on someone’s voicemail, consider your policy on responding to messages (is the work culture one where everyone returns calls within 2 hours or 24 hours?), be shrewd when making your ringtone selection;
E-Mail: make a very clear Subject Line, be sure to include your Contact Info, make a Draft (without recipient’s email in the To line) first, a note on blind cc’ing: either copy all openly or forward your e-mail with a note indicating why you are copying them separately;
In-Person: Use same principles, be clear, respond to points on the table and keep it professional.

3. GET WHAT YOU WANT. Really, you can!
Don’t leave until you got what you went there for;
When in doubt, ask for help OR hang back and imitate person next to you, act cool and take notes;
Keep an eye out for one another and share resources.

Good luck!

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We will many “first days” in our lives. It could be the first day on a project, job or at a new worksite. The tips are the same whether you are joining a new theater company or going to your first-ever job. Check these out and tell me what tips you’d give others on their first day

1. Be prepared. Learn everything you can about the company, your position and your coworkers.

2. Say thank you. Take the time to send gratitude cards to everyone who helped you while you were looking for a new job; and for goodness sake, thank the folks who hired you!

3. Don’t be on time, be early, and be prepared to put in some extra time as you learn the ropes.

4. Dress appropriately to your work situation. Find out the culture of the company and find a sincere blend of your style and the company or organization’s style.

5. Ask a lot of questions. Check in to let your coworkers and supervisors know you have questions and find out when is a good time to get the answers. Consider keeping a running list in a journal or draft e-mail (don’t add recipient’s address until you it is clean, edited and ready to send:)

6. Get to know your coworkers and learn their names. Introduce yourself as often as possible–a good tip to know if someone knows your name is that they will usually use it when greeting you. Keep a list of who’s who with short descriptions of what they look like or what they are wearing that day if you have loads of humans to learn.

7. Find out what is expected of you. Explore what you are to do, how you’ll be evaluated and whether creativity is welcome or if there is a set way to accomplish your work.

8. Stay out of the gossip mill. Really, it’s absolutely none of your business. Try moving away from those conversations, no matter how juicy they are. Walk away.

9. Study the interpersonal relationships of your coworkers. How do folks communicate? Are they direct? Do they prefer small talk before they get into an issue or discussion? How does your style relate to theirs?

10. Don’t expect everyone to be warm and fuzzy and love you right off the bat. That’s not why you are there–take a breath and remain professional, always.

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