That’s not the way it’s supposed to be? Why do we need to do this? I can’t work this way. What’s wrong with this company?
How many times have you heard a newly-hired person say things like this? They come to their new job with rose-colored glasses and all of a sudden think that their new company does everything wrong.
“I’m used to doing it like this”, or “that’s not the way it should be”. Who’s to determine “the way it should be”? The new employee or the business itself?
Anyone that has worked more than 2 jobs in their lifetime has been in a position where they had to make adjustments to their way of doing things. Each business will operate how it best suits them, regardless if that makes sense to the new hire or not.
The manner in which policies, procedures, hiring practices, equipment purchasing, accounting and a myriad of other actions are determined by the owners, board of directors, investors and the like based on what they believe to be best for that particular business.
Yes, I do understand that not all businesses will do things that make sense or are operational-friendly, but that doesn’t mean that we should come into a situation and complain from the start about it.
Whatever happened to adapting to the situation at hand?
Our business “education” comes from many sources during our career. Has it all been for the best of the employee? Maybe it didn’t seem so at first but I have always tried to understand that there is more than one way to do a particular task and, regardless of what we think, we must do as the boss expects us to…at least if we want to keep our job!
Isn’t it reasonable to expect a new employee to perform their tasks as directed until it can be mastered? This is what any business wants from a new, or existing, employee.
If a business allows new hires to do as they please, complain about the procedures and to possibly cause dissension among the existing staff “right off the bat”, how can it reasonably expect to be successful, profitable and have an environment where others want to be part of?
Whether it’s right or wrong, companies like Zappo’s terminates employees as needed if they don’t fit their culture. Disney only hires employees that have their mindset of customer service (plus much training).
Do you think they would be successful if they allowed new hires to do as they want and complain from the get go? I highly doubt it.
I was given a great piece of advice last year by Meghann Scherrer – Senior Manager, Culture & Engagement at Frontpoint:
Before I go trying to introduce change, tread lightly. Someone somewhere at some point in time thought that idea, strategy or process would become a best practice.
Maybe we can tweak a procedure, recommend revisions to a policy or a change to a business practice, all in the hopes of improvement. But until one can show mastery of what is expected of us now, we should not assume that our new boss “sees our side of the issue” and is willing to listen to our complaints of why we must do things a certain way here.
If we were to make a listing of what traits a “professional” has, my first item would be adaptability.
I would rather hire a new employee that is ready and willing to adapt to his/her new surroundings and job requirements than the best qualified person that can only do things one way.
Those who can will get ahead, be successful, and have a long career.
I love “new blood” in a business. They bring a fresh pair of eyes and a spark to the existing staff.
But not when you expect to do things like you did at your old job!
OK, am I right or wrong? Leave a comment and add to the discussion.
