3 Lessons You Can Learn From the Office Newbie

3 Lessons You Can Learn From the Office Newbie3 Lessons You Can Learn From the Office NewbieIts hard not to pity new employees at the office. On those first few days, theyre often pretty nervous- with no idea of where anything is, what theyre supposed to be doing, or if theyre meeting expectations. Thankfully, youre there to help. Youve worked at the company for a few years, which means you know the lay of the land. You have all the information that those office newbies need to succeed in their new roles.But as experienced as you are, training a new hire isnt a one-way street. There are actually a few things you could stand to learn from a brand new employee- things that can actually advance your career. 1. Never Stop Asking the Hard (and Obvious) QuestionsOnce youve worked in the same place for a few years, some things simply become the norm. You do things a certain way because thats the way youve always done them- no questions asked. The other day, for example, I attended a departm ent-wide meeting where we talked about the results of the latest trade show wed attended. The lead for that show talked through our fabulous new display, the snacks and beverages wed handed out, and how many people walked through our booth- and at the end, quickly glossed over the fact that wed generated just 300 leads from the event. Immediately after the meeting, our newest team member approached our boss and asked, Is that muster? Three hundred leads seems like a pretty small number for what we invested in attending the show.She was right- but no one else had brought up the issue because that was simply the norm. In many offices, new employees are often the only ones willing to question what everyone else has learned to just go along with.Lesson LearnedNew employees can often see beyond what the rest of the team sees as normal. In an attempt to better understand their role and the mission of the department, theyll ask the most obvious questions- simply because theyre curious. But honestly, thats what every employee should be doing. Even the most seasoned employees should be able to look critically at their companys processes and results and ask themselves, What could we be doing better? 2. Dont Be Afraid to Take RisksId been writing my companys internal, employee-facing newsletter for about a year when we hired a new writer in my department and decided to transition that assignment to her. I was ecstatic- the internal newsletter tended to be pretty boring it was sort of a running joke that no one in the company actually read it. To hand off the project, I prepared to meet with the new hire and explain to her how I compiled it each week as well as where I found the stories- but before I could even departure, she was sharing ideas about what she wanted to do with it. In fact, shed already started talking to people in other departments to find out what they wanted to read about in the newsletter and how she could improve it. It was quite the wake-up call. For a year, Id been doing the bare minimum to get the newsletter out weekly, but a new employee- whod been with the department for just a week- was champing at the bit to take a risk and do something different. Lesson LearnedAbiding by the status quo may get you by, but it probably wont get you ahead. New employees often bring new ideas and arent afraid of suggesting ways to do things differently- and often, better. But as you get settled in your job, you can easily become settled in your ways and let your innovation and creativity take a back seat. Instead, you should strive to look at your projects and assignments with the eyes of a brand new employee, asking yourself, If there were no rules, how would I approach this?3. Theres No Time to WasteHow often do you see new employees goofing off on Facebook or pulling out their phone to answer a text? Almost never. Admittedly, this may partially because theyre not sure what the office norms are regarding cell phones and social media- but fo r the most part, its because theyre eager to fill their time with meaningful work.New employees want to do whatever needs to be done. They start with their to-do list, and when thats done, they ask their co-workers and boss what else they can help with. And even if that turns up no extra assignments, they figure out something useful to do. Just the other day, a new hire at my office had a few minutes to spare, so he poked around online finding recent articles that mentioned our company- one in a not-so-positive light. He emailed it to my boss and the rest of the team, asking how to best address the customer who wrote it. What would I have done? Probably pulled out my phone to scroll through Instagram. Lesson LearnedSure, part of the perk of being a long-standing employee is that you know whats acceptable- and maybe, a few minutes on Twitter or Facebook is perfectly fine. Its actually nice to take a breather from your work every so often throughout the day. The lesson here is that no mater how long youve been at the company, you should mucksmuschenstill be hungry- eager for new projects and responsibilities, willing to lend a hand wherever its needed, and driven to help the company in every spare minute you have. Thats the kind of motivation and leadership thats going to advance your career. Its nice to be at the top looking down, but dont get too comfortable. Embracing the eagerness and audacity of a brand new employee could be just the boost your career needs. Photo of puzzle pieces courtesy of Shutterstock.