• Never, ever, tell anyone anything you don’t want repeated. Practice this; it’s harder than it looks.
• This is especially good during meetings as no one wants to get called out as being wrong. Making yourself the target also leaves the floor open for others to pipe in, instead of targeting poor John directly.
• Admit your mistakes and try to fix them head on. No one likes a weasel.
• Learn where to find all relevant policies/laws etc. You don’t need to know all the answers, just where to find them!
• If you have an issue with a coworker, go talk to them directly and privately before doing anything else. Chances are you can work things out, and if not, then you can go to the managers saying you tried to fix it first and foremost. This is also an often used question during interviews: “What would you do if you saw someone stealing office supplies…”
• Explain to them that their actions are unfortunately placing you in a bad position and you want to work with them, or else you will be forced to report them due to the position they placed you in. Let them try and figure out the solution.
• If you are ever in a heated situation, avoid the use of the word “you!” It is accusatory and will not help. Instead say, “I feel…” and go from there (practice it first, I swear it’s awesome!) Example: “I feel frustrated by the situation because…” No one can deny what you feel, and it is a great starting point to find a solution.
• Companies love acronyms! A great step forward in any new position is to learn those acronyms asap. It may be stupid, but it’s even dumber to be left in the dark. Ask someone for a “Frequently Used Acronym” list, and then learn them all! Not that much of a big deal you say? Let’s look at the benefits. You will immediately better understand the conversations around you, without asking what X means, or what Y means, or learning the actual material yet. Again, build on communication strengths, and break down barriers. Knowing that Jack is talking about the Communications Oversight Committee is way better than knowing he is talking about the COC. What the hell is the COC? Learning all acronyms is like a cheat sheet to the company lingo, and is one of the easiest thing to do right away, with some of the most benefit, which leads me to…
• The most important reason to learn acronyms – People love to feel important, and using acronyms is one way people remind themselves how important and clever they really are. Hell, their purpose is to save time during conversations, for people who feel that they are important enough that their time is worth saving!
• Using acronyms will also allow you you to better integrate into the new group, and seem more confident!
• As well, who uses acronyms the most? That’s right, the bosses and execs, etc. Not only will you be better informed if you know your acronyms, you can also impress the higher ups with your knowledge when you ask (open ended!) questions chock full of those acronyms, right from the start of your new job.

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