Critical Success Factors for Settling into a New Job

Posted on May 7, 2024 by Edward L. Baker

This entry is part 12 of 16 in the series May 2024

By asking good questions and building relationships in the first months of a new job, one can establish a solid foundation for future success.

As public health professionals consider their future in the wake of the COVID pandemic, some will find themselves in new positions. Asking good questions and building new relationships are central tasks during this transition as noted in a recent article in JPHMP entitled: “Settling into a New Job: Asking Good Questions and Building Relationships.” Some good questions are:

Why are we doing this?
What has worked in the past?
In what ways are we improving and learning?

Building new relationships with coworkers can be as important as the relationship with a new boss. Developing an understanding of the values and motivations of team members can strengthen those relationships. Other coworker questions might include:

Looking back over the past year or so, what are they proudest of?
What are their 2-3 greatest challenges?
How are they supported, by whom, and in what ways?
If they could change one thing about the work situation, what would that be and how might it be done?

Cultivating a strong relationship with a new “boss” is also central to success. For example, one should learn what success looks like to him/her in the months ahead. Also, it is helpful to clarify the boss’s information needs such that the new employee can provide the right amount of information in the right way at the right time.

All too frequently, people may come into a new job and try to quickly make an impact by proposing new ways of doing things. This can often cause friction and create resistance. Therefore, “newcomers” should settle into a new job very gently and avoid the pitfall of offering advice prematurely before they establish themselves. Once one begins to understand the new work environment, their ability to influence others to consider new approaches may be better received.

Finally, by pausing and taking time to reflect on the first few months of a new job, one can lay the foundation for future progress by reflecting on what has been learned and using those insights to set the stage for future success. All of these considerations and related suggestions are discussed in greater depth in the recent JPHMP column entitled: “Settling into a New Job: Asking Good Questions and Building Relationships.”

About the Author

Edward L. Baker: Dr. Edward L. Baker, a former Assistant Surgeon General in the US Public Health Service and former Director of CDC’s Public Health Practice Program Office, currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at UNC, Harvard, and Indiana University schools of public health. At UNC and Harvard, he teaches courses on the theory and practice of leadership.

While at UNC, he directed the North Carolina Institute for Public Health, the service and outreach arm of the UNC School of Public Health, which was home to the national Public Health Leadership Institute, the Management Academy for Public Health and the North Carolina Local Health Agency Accreditation program. His current professional activities are focused on informatics training and management and leadership development. While serving as Director of CDC’s Public Health Practice Program Office, he lead creation of Public Health Leadership Institutes, the Information Network for Public Health Officials, the Public Health Training Network, and the Health Alert Network.

Dr. Baker is board certified in internal medicine and occupational medicine and was trained in epidemiology in CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) and at Harvard School of Public Health. He also served as NIOSH Deputy Director, leading a range of initiatives designed to prevent occupational disease and injury. He and his wife, Pam, have 3 wonderful children and a 9-year-old grandson, who are the lights of their lives.