We’ve all been there: Finding out that you’ve made a mistake after all your hard work has been done. It’s not a great feeling, and you don’t like to have to go back and correct whatever mistake was made. Luckily, there is a way to avoid this when beginning your new job. If you listen to and follow instructions, you will decrease the chances of making mistakes before all of your hard work is done. You want to start your job off on the right foot which means minimizing the number of mistakes you make. If you don’t ask for direction and follow instructions, you will almost definitely make mistakes that could have been avoided.
Here are five tips for listening to and following instructions:
- Don’t assume you know what to do
- Get all the information
- Ask questions
- Be open to new ways of doing things
- Follow up
Don’t assume you know what to do
Many people enter a new job thinking that knowing everything makes them highly valuable. However, that is rarely the case. If you pretend that you know everything and assume what you are to do, you set yourself up for many mistakes, or even failure.
Get all the information
It is important to get all the information about your work before you complete it. It can be helpful to ask the following people for help or more information before you begin a task:
-A peer in your department
-Someone else at the company
-Someone in the same field as you
Ask questions
If you still have questions after talking to your peers or other helpful people at the company, make sure that you clarify expectations with your manager or supervisor. He or she is there to help you along in your first weeks at the job, so take advantage of this assistance. Never be afraid to ask questions; they are not a sign of weakness. Rather; they are a sign that you want to do your job as best you can. When you ask questions, bring a notepad and pen so that you remember the answers and use these answers to help you finish your work.
Be open to new ways of doing things
Managers or supervisors don’t look for employees to join a team and attempt to make the team see things their way. Instead, managers want smart workers who adapt to the team and bring an open mind with their new ideas. Although you may have done a similar job before, chances are that it will be very different doing the job at a new company. This is why it is important to ask others for help and guidance.
Lean on your peers to help you through your first weeks on the job, and use your manager for support. Remember, acting like you know everything and having a closed mind will only hurt you in the long run. Try to be open minded to your peers’ suggestions.
Follow up
Follow up with the people you’ve asked for help after you complete a task or project. Let them know if and how their advice helped you. It is also a good idea to ask them for feedback regarding your work. You can use what they say to improve your task or project for the next time.
Thank you for tuning into our post on following instructions in your new job. If you would like to learn more about teaching workplace readiness skills, click the free trial link below.
