Here’s another great article I came across this morning that I thought would fit well with the theme of this blog. Be sure to check out the entire article and do come back and leave your comments.

Mistake #1: Assume you know what is expected of you

One of the biggest complaints we heard from new leaders was a lack of clarity around the role and their boss’ expectations. A key reason for this is that there simply isn’t enough candid conversation, before or after the move. Would you take a job at a different company without thoroughly investigating it and spending time with your new boss discussing her expectations?

Put the assumptions aside and start asking questions — even if you think they are dumb. How does your boss see the role? What does he expect you to accomplish? How will that be measured? What do other people expect from you?

Mistake #2: Assume you have relationships with the right people

When people join a new company they invest a lot of energy building relationships with stakeholders. They know that these are critical to getting things done.

When you move inside your company, you might assume you already know everyone. The reality is relationships are a lot more complicated than that — you take your history with you. If you have been promoted, people who used to be your superiors are now your peers. People who used to be peers are now subordinates. Not everyone is going to be happy with this arrangement, and not everyone will make it easy.

A good strategy is to sit down and map out your stakeholders and realistically assess the history and strength of your relationship. You need to re-contract all of your pre-existing relationships, and you may need to build some bridges.

Mistake #3: Assume the culture is the same

Every function, every team, every level in a company has its own culture. Your job is to understand how it is different from what you are used to, and what you need to do to adjust to it. For people who are promoted, operating at a new level of team dynamics and politics often comes as a shock. The sooner you figure out nuances around group culture and norms, the faster you will be able to fit in.

Mistake #4: Forget to earn the credibility of others

When people come from the outside they spend their first 90 days working on an early win. They know it is critical to demonstrate why they were hired. What internal transfers sometimes forget is that their colleagues are waiting for them to prove themselves, too. People want to know why you got that promotion or were assigned to that high-profile project. It is not enough to rely on your history. You need to prove yourself.

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