The first 90 days at a new job can often be daunting, causing many late-night brainstorms to find a way to prove yourself with your new colleagues. Coming to Incite in June, I wanted to excel immediately and not make any mistakes, both of which contributed to some initial stress and anxiety. Thankfully, this didn’t last long for many reasons, most of which revolve around the tremendous team culture thriving within this organization.
Culture is the collection of attitudes, characteristics, and values that inform the actions of all team members. I could go on and speak about how each Inciter plays an important role in developing our culture, but then you’d need to transplant our team members to your organization to mimic the effect. Instead, I’ve summarized the top 3 things I noticed at Incite in my first 90 days which any team can implement in order to promote a strong culture:
Get to know your colleagues
In my first week, Incite’s founder and president, Ted Kouri, recommended that I make it my number one priority to get to know the team on a personal level over the next three months. Understanding the hobbies, interests, tendencies, and work styles of your colleagues will contribute substantially to your effectiveness collaborating in the workplace. From my experience, my creativity flourishes when I am comfortable with everyone in the room, as it does for many others. Strong client relationships help ensure project success, but strong internal relationships are foundational for resilient organizations.
Encourage feedback loops
One of the most exciting things about starting a new job is the ability to learn. After joining Incite, I noticed I was surrounded with one of the best sources for education, my colleagues. Be open to positive and constructive feedback throughout your day-to-day, ask lots of questions, and try new things to challenge yourself. The type of objective perspective that comes from a regular feedback loop should not stop after the first 90 days of employment; committing to continuous improvement should be a permanent habit.
Create internal ambassadors
The third thing I’ve noticed at Incite, and arguably the most evident in my first 90 days, is the team’s genuine passion for, and commitment to, our clients. We deeply believe the work we do drives value for each organization we work with and we do it in order to help our clients achieve their greatness. Not only does this improve the quality of work that gets completed, but it also positively contributes to the day-to-day atmosphere within the office. Engage team members in developing or understanding your overall vision, invite feedback and ideas during strategic planning, and ensure staff stand behind the “why” of your organization. All these activities will help in creating cultural alignment which, ultimately, supports the activation of your brand from the inside-out.
Learn what personally motivates each of your colleagues, intentionally seek out feedback from team members to support ongoing professional growth, and generate internal buy-in to the core purpose, values, and beliefs of your organization. The fabric of culture is made up of so much more than these three things, but they are great areas to focus on for organizations that want to strengthen internal relationships, build a more resilient team, and shape a culture that fosters growth and trust.
