Stepping into a new role in a Hybrid World

Starting in a new role and team can be exciting but also challenging, particularly in a hybrid environment. Here are four brain-based strategies, from NLI’s Jay Dixit, which can help make this transition more positive and successful for both you and your new team.

Adopt a ‘growth mindset’

It is natural to want to impress our new team and show how much we deserve to be in our new role. However, rushing to make our mark can lead to flawed decision making and alienate us from the team. Instead of focusing on impressing people, we can try to focus on understanding our new context and adopting the mindset that our skills and abilities within the role will grow over time.

Ask questions

As humans, much of our decision making is based on cognitive bias and mental shortcuts – without discussing ideas, and asking questions, we can miss important institutional knowledge and context that resides in the minds of our colleagues. Don’t go it alone; much of what we need to know to be successful won’t be part of the onboarding documents.

Create shared goals

When members of our team view us as ‘one of them’, it drives a phenomenon known as ‘intergroup empathy bias’, leading to greater teamwork and collaboration. One way to position ourselves as part of the team, is to create shared goals. This sense that we are in it together encourages connection and social cohesion.

Project your positivity

Understanding communication styles and facial expressions of unfamiliar people is complex, and much more difficult remotely. Are we shy, angry, tired, or bored? Facial expressions can be harder to read than we think, and when we are uncertain, we interpret neutral as negative. By communicating our positive social signals more clearly than we think we need to, we can help reduce uncertainty and put our team at ease.