Your First 90 Days: 4 Ways to Build the Right Relationships for Success in Your New Food & Beverage Role
Recently received a promotion? Starting out in a new food & beverage organization?
Congratulations!
A shiny new professional role brings tremendous opportunity – if you play your cards right. Follow these tips to help “stack the deck in your favor” during your first 90 days on the job.
Get to know your team.
Learn colleagues’ and key executives’ names as quickly as possible. Gradually build relationships by asking neutral questions about co-workers’ jobs and/or outside interests (being careful not to get too personal too quickly). Attend after-work social events or participate in volunteer opportunities to get to know your team better.
Study the corporate culture.
From the day you start work, take mental notes on how team members interact. Find out who the most successful professionals are, and take your cues from them. By simply observing, you can learn a lot about how the organization operates. And when you meet with your boss, don’t be shy. Ask, “Who do I need to know to thrive here?”
In just a few days’ time, you should be able to identify:
- who has the power to help you move ahead;
- who might present obstacles to your success (i.e., individuals who may feel threatened by “the new guy”);
- the best ways for you to fit in.
Develop key relationships.
Once you identify the people you need to know, start strengthening your relationships with them.
- Invite key contacts to coffee or lunch and “pick their brains.” Find out what it really takes to move up within your organization, as well as other strategic relationships (up, down and laterally) you should be developing. Be careful, however, not to cross the line and appear like an “angler” whose sole interest is to get ahead.
- Offer help. Do little things that make colleagues and your boss look good. Find out what you can do to make your key contacts more successful in their jobs, and they’ll be more likely to return the favor.
- Live up to your commitments. If you agree to do something for an internal customer, do it! During your first 90 days, it’s imperative to create a positive impression of your integrity, responsibility and accountability.
Find a mentor.
The right mentor can ensure your long-term growth by giving you opportunities to learn, and apply that learning, more quickly. He can also help you navigate the sometimes tricky waters of organizational politics that jeopardize success for the newly hired and promoted.
Kinsa is In Your Corner
At Kinsa Group, we’re committed to more than just placing you in the ideal position. We want to ensure you thrive in your new role, attaining your professional goals in the food & beverage industry. Get started with Kinsa today or search food & beverage executive and professional jobs here.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April, 2015.