The Impassioned Workforce

I’ve spoken before about the importance of a great first impression. When it comes to engaging employees, the early days are critical for igniting the passion and obtaining commitment. A huge amount of ground can be gained (or lost) in the opening seconds of the game. People are at their most impressionable and eager to find things to get excited about. They can’t wait to show how their talents can deliver and they want to impress upon their new boss what a great asset they have just hired. Equally, existing team members are quickly developing impressions about their latest team-mate which will be lasting and have a great impact on their overall integration success.

I am happy to share that I have recently been caught up in the exhilaration of my own opening moments! I have started a new position and am busy meeting new people and learning about new strategies. Regretfully that means I have been absent from my blog for a couple of weeks. I intend to get back to regular postings just as soon as I can parcel off some grey matter. I am, however, very happy to share that my own early days are shaping up to be very compelling. I’ll share more as time goes on.

For your own teams, think about the ways you help them to engage and integrate in their early days of either joining the organisation or taking on a new role. Setting the context, helping them navigate the politics and laying the ground for them to achieve early success are key to creating a lasting and positive first impression that will sustain them through the more challenging moments ahead.