John Borrowman, CPC
Borrowman Baker LLC
Gallatin, TN
It’s common to view a job change as career advancement. You probably wouldn’t have made the move if it weren’t an advance, right? There’s another element in this process that your new boss sees, that you probably don’t. You would be smart to keep it in mind.
If you’ve been in your current position for any length of time, you’ve probably developed a strong familiarity with, if not actual mastery of, the environment where you work. You know what the processes are. You know the rules and, if you’ve been paying attention, the exceptions. You know who to go to for help or assistance on a particular issue.
If you’re productive and efficient, it’s probably because you’ve learned how to anticipate what your current boss wants and needs. You’ve earned respect by staying one step ahead. When you change jobs, though, all of that pretty much goes out the window.
You have to learn new processes and procedures. You have to learn different ways of doing things. There will be different expectations from those you work with.
As smart as you are, and as quickly as you learn, there’s simply going to be a fall-off in your overall productivity. It can easily take four to six months to get your feet fully on the ground and to reach the level of productivity you were accustomed to.
Your new boss knows that. He knew it at the time you were interviewing for the position. That’s why he had the view that he did of the short-term risk associated with hiring you. And that’s why he may not have offered the increase in compensation that you thought would go along with “career advancement”.
When you think like the boss, you can see more clearly how and why things are the way they are. And you can manage your expectations accordingly.
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