You’re new to the office. While you will not know certain things, there are professional traits, common sense actions, and the good side of human nature that are constant. Act on these as you observe your organization’s culture.
Some reminders:
1. Arrive early to learn more/catch up, get ahead, or to assist the rest of the office with identifying hot topics. Working in a public affairs office where news and information are key to the Command and mission? Even more reason.
2. Contribute to the greater good. Bring in a healthy snack. Grab someone’s lunch for them while they are crashing on a project. Pass on the love. Then, there’s coffee: ‘you kill the jo, you make some mo’.” (And you shouldn’t need a sign.)
3. Ask questions, but if it’s clearly a busy office and you have the ability to find answers and have been pointed that way (either on the portal, SharePoint, Google, however it may be), try to solve it yourself. Your teammates will appreciate your self-sufficiency.
4. Start with why. You may not have all the background, relationships, or experience, but you must begin with a firm grasp on what your organization is working to achieve (hint: in DoD, it’s connected to protecting America, no doubt). Keep this as your baseline as you learn the ropes – start with why.
