Submitted by christoph26 on
in
Forums
Dear Manager-Tool forum,
Since five months I have started a new job at a very famous and well regarded architectural practice. I relocated for this.
Until now I am in a two persons only team (the project manager and me) I hardly know anybody from the 200+ stuff and get extreme rare feedback for my work (there was a probationary period meeting, however, were I received very positive feedback). The situation stresses my increasingly.
My question: the project I am in is about to end – how can I influence my change in a bigger project team? Should I contact HR? Furthermore, my current work is very boring and isolated – how can I politely express that I feel not challenged?
I appreciated any advice.
Best Regards,
Christoph
Several Things
First and foremost, talk to your career manager. Maybe this is your PM, maybe not. Ask about how else you can get involved in the firm. Ask about exposure to other projects to broaden your skillset and make yourself more valuable to the firm. The key is, ask how you can serve the firm, not how he firm can make a change for you because your work is, as you put it, boring.
So, this may be a dead-end. We've all had these bosses.
Do you work in an office with other people from the firm? It sounds like you may not, but if so, go into the office as much as you can and build your network. Maybe there's no requirement for you to be in the office, but if you have access to it, go in, make friends at the water cooler or in the break room at lunch. Buy lunch or coffee for somebody who seems to be doing what you'd like to do. Much like the previous advice, give, give, give as much as you can.
Finally, if this firm is as large and renowned as you claim, then there's probably a very robust HR infrastructure to assist with employee development and location of internal opportunities.
I hope this advice helps - good luck in your efforts.
Thank for your
Thank for your recommendations and sorry for my late reply.
You are right with your tip to invest in networking, however, I might have not found the right people, yet.
I had another meeting with “my” associate and I mentioned again that I wish to work in a bigger, non-German speaking international team (as noted in the probationary period meeting), but they want to keep me in local (German-speaking) projects. The next project he proposed would keep me busy for more than three years.
I am not sure if I should skip the associate and talk to HR or even the senior partner in that matter? I know, however, that staffing decisions are done on partner level.
I started the job, mainly because I wished to work on foreign projects, therefore – without a change -I might quit the job.
p.s.:
is there actually any company out there that really does "one on ones"? I mean I am working in a big "famous" firm and hardly anybody above me is talking to me... frustration grows and grows...
patience...
You're less than 1 year into your new job. Be patient. You have to build your credibility within your organization. In the US, we would say that you have to "prove your value" to the organization.
There are a series of podcasts about what to in the first 90 days of a new job. I recommend that you listen those podcasts (about 5 total) and follow the guidance. Step 1, day 1 of a new job: get out and meet people.
I definitely appreciate your frustration regarding the lack of O3s. MT exists because managers don't do the fundamental things, like O3s, feedback, coaching and delegation. If nobody above you is talking to you, they might not know who you are. Refer back to my recommendation in the previous paragraph...get out and meet people.
Good luck!
Thank you for your feedback
Thank you for your feedback - I really appreciate it. Yes, I do know the "90 day new job" podcasts and I think they were really helpful to start the job. In the few meetings with my boss I got good feedback for my work so far (they even have standardized forms for that).
Of course I do not have enough patience. But I fear that I take now a line of projects in the company I do not want to do. Projects in architectural companies, however, go for 2-5 years. So if I am now patience ("and shut up") I need to be quiet some time...