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You just got hired in IT. Awesome. Welcome aboard. Here is a list of some tips that I have thought about many times as new people come and go in our organization. These should generally apply to any position. This article is only the beginning of the possibilities for a list like this. If you have any comments or ideas you can comment below or email feedback at itminddesign dot com.

1. Don’t talk much, just listen

I’m sure this applies to more situations than at work or if you just got hired. However, it never fails, as some newbie comes in and can’t learn anything about company or what goes on around the place because they are too busy running their pie hole. This is extremely critical if you are relatively inexperienced or move to a vastly different field or area from the last. When your talking too much, people think you must know it all or don’t care to listen to what they have to say. Every place has its own local jargon and the only way to pick up on these things is to listen.

You can also learn interesting details about your coworkers. If you just let them talk about themselves most people will begin to talk about the things that interest or are important to them. This is often true if you throw in the occasional open ended question.

2. Ask questions

Most people have a natural design to want to help people. If you ask questions and ask for help most people will be glad to lend you a hand. Asking questions is a great way to start piecing together various information. I remember when I first started this job. I didn’t have a clue as to what was going on. The company has always been heavy on acronyms for things. It seemed almost as bad as the US armed forces. So for the first several months, I carried a pad around with and would right down any terms I didn’t understand. After the meetings were over I would ask my teammates what the terms meant. I would suggest writing down the terms and any answers you may have a hard time remembering. Many people become irritated after you ask the same questions over and over. It also may give some people the impression that you don’t value their time. Any help you get from others should be seen as valuable because they are responsible for doing all of their normal work plus the time it takes to work with you.

Another value tool with a question. It is often very disarming if you are confronting something you see as wrong. Maybe an example will help. Read these two sentences and pick which one seems to be less confrontational.

“Joe, this server’s network connection is configure totally wrong.”

“Joe, let me ask you question. I thought that a server’s network connection should be setup like … Did I misunderstand something?”

I have always found that people don’t read the second sentence as being attacked and comes across like you have a question and you need their help to verify it.

3. Either remember what your told or take notes

I have spoke about this some already. If you don’t remember things easily, then right it down. It’s about efficiency and respecting someone else’s time. If you don’t, your going to find that people are going to become irritated after explaining something repeatedly. If it’s gets bad enough, they may start to conveniently forget things. I’m not saying, that if you don’t really understand something not to ask questions, because that’s tip #2. However, if it’s the same set of information over and over — write it down.

4. Understand the unpublished organizational chart

Most organizations have an official org chart that they give you which is very useful as it’s nice to know who’s the boss. However, the “grapevine” and the interpersonal relationships are just as important. A good example of this is often some manager’s administrative assistant. The assistant often has tons of inside information and direct access to the boss. People who have been around or have known others for years have lots of influence with them. Before you take on someone you should have an accurate read of the interpersonal landscape. The best idiom I know of for this tip is “The toes you step on today may be attached to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow.”

5. Understand why something was done a certain way

Before commenting on how bad or wrong an existing solution is, it would be best to ascertain how it came about. Everyone wants to do a good job but there are always issues. Typically there are only two things that stop something from getting done, money or politics. People often feel like they own the projects and environments they create personally because of the amount of blood, sweet, and tears that go into it. Before you tee off on some existing design or environment it might be good to reread tip #2. If you don’t, people may feel attacking the solution is the same as attacking them.

6. Over at company ABC we use to …

This tip is not meant to squash the new ideas new people bring to a new job. However, until you have a good understanding of an environment, you may want to go easy with references to how we did over at <insert your last employer here> . Obviously, if the opportunity comes up for something brand new and it’s appropriate, there is nothing wrong with suggesting or explaining how that was dealt with at the old company. Most folks don’t deal well with change and new people being hired is a change.

7. Seek to understand before you seek to be understood

This one sounds easier than it is. It even applies to the people you don’t like. Everyone person’s pathology is different. There are reasons they are the way they are and how they became that way. I’m not reducing a person’s culpability for their actions and attitudes. I am saying that knowing what a persons true intent is not possible. The closest thing to knowing what it truly is by getting them to articulating their motives. We all often want to default to seeing every perceived wrong against us as malice. I know that this is a significant personal growth area for myself. Also, you are not going to agree with all the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs once you seek to understand someone. Even if you can’t agree on anything

8. Do not be afraid to make mistakes; own them when you do

This tip is not a license to be negligent and there should be lots of caution used in a new job and a new environment. When I first started I didn’t really know anything and I remember to this day the director saying to the guy I was replacing “You can take him out there but don’t let him touch anything”. However, being paralyzed by maybe making a mistake would be career limiting. I see in our company now, some do not want to make a decision or take a reasonable response to resolve a problem because they don’t want to break something and get in trouble. However, they don’t seem to realize that no one in the 11 years I have been there has ever been fired for making a mistake. If you do make a mistake, own it, and learn from it. Just don’t keep making the same ones over and over. My view is, that if you do the best job you can in what is viewed as the best interest for the company and they want to fire you for it, you really didn’t want to work for those people anyway.

9. Be on time to meetings

This one really applies to new and veteran employees. If you commit to coming to a meeting show up on time. It’s a simple courtesy to others and shows that you respect them and their time. It also shows that your organized which is important. Having your act together always looks good when it comes raise and/or promotion time. If your already having chronic lateness here are a few tips on how to stop being late. I will add one of my own as well. I maybe channeling Dr. Phil or something, but many people get something from being late. To define “something”, I mean some subconscious issue is occurring that gives you some kind of “reward” for that behavior. Subconsciously, the person is getting something out of being late. Humans don’t usually do things that they don’t get some kind of subconscious “reward” for. Don’t read any negative insinuation in this either, it’s just the way humans are and we can always improve.

10. Some things are better left unsaid

A good friend and ex-coworker exposed me to this phrase. I didn’t really believe it much when he first started to say it, but he was right. If there is no good or value to anyone by saying something, then saying it can only make things worse. Seems reasonable to think that it shouldn’t be said. In a new job until you have fully done the work of tip #7 will someone be able to evaluate what is safe to be said to someone. Lucky for me I work with some great people who don’t mind most of the things that come out of my mouth. However, if we hire someone new, I stay very professional and exercise tip #7 until I can feel safe in stretching the boundaries of professional talk. Obviously, the best advice is not to go anywhere inappropriate and you will always be safe from those folks in HR. That just doesn’t really work for me. I did once call our receptionist “Dear” and got hauled down to the director’s office for a little counseling about harassment. She never did tell me personally that she didn’t like it. If she had, I would have stopped. However, if I had followed some of these tips before then, I could have avoided my one and only slap on the wrist.