Stepping into a new role and hitting the wall!
- Zoran Vidovic
- Apr 17
- 5 min read
The new role, a new job opportunity, triggers excitement, joy, and satisfaction. As soon as you get that long-anticipated opportunity, you are through the roof, ready to tackle all the challenges, bring all your wisdom to the new role, and share it with your team.
This is when the problem starts when the reality kicks in. This is when you see that wall approaching at full speed.
Why is it that new insights are not, or are very seldomly, accepted by the established team regardless of their importance and relevance?
Stepping into a new role
So, you got it. It is actually happening. You finally got the job you have been working so hard to get. You got all the required experience and then some. Your academic background is impressive. You did your homework and analyzed all the pros and cons of working for that company and especially for that position. You got your CV tailored, and your cover letter was captivating and inspiring. You even got new skills through various courses and certifications to boost your chances of employment. You dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's.
It's time to shine. You've got all your knowledge lined up and ready to pour it all over the challenges. Your look is immaculate, as well as your attitude. You are eager to learn and ready to deliver your best performance.
You got that first impression done, and you made it to the first true challenge, which will reveal the box of tricks you have been keeping locked in your head. You open it and grab the best possible solution, and while you are at it, you pick two additional ones along with some suggestions that might help optimize and even elevate the team's performance. You are already, and you finally present it all, happy and satisfied that you have justified the received trust.
And then the wall comes at you at the speed of light. The wall of resentment and disbelief that shatters all you worked so hard for and even leaves you questioning yourself.
Hitting the wall
After the wall of disbelief and resentment, you are left with questions and shattered pieces of your former self that you need to piece back together.
So, what is the wall that you slammed into? It is the wall of "we have always done it this way" and "my way or the highway."
We have all been through this experience in our lives. We have all encountered individuals in positions of power who are not capable, able, or willing to see reality from a different perspective and are not willing to accept plausible solutions volunteered by others in fear of looking inadequately capable. They will rather fail and look for the scapegoat than admit shortcomings and accept solutions volunteered by others.
There could be various reasons for it, but insecurity, big ego, and compensation for the lack of skill are the main driving forces behind it.
Now that you have hit the wall and recuperated, you are left with a big dilemma: how to approach that challenge. You are now aware, although not sure of the reasons for the pushback on a plausible solution simply because it was volunteered by you.
This will now make you divert a lot of energy into understanding, analyzing, processing, and accepting the situation which will result in further disappointment and resentment once you attempt to utilize your skills and knowledge in problem resolution. It is a cycle that will, if not broken, drain your energy and potentially put you in a preservation mode of not caring and volunteering solutions.
Recovering and dangers of diverting from the mission
You need to be careful not to pull back and then accept the game, as it will gradually change you into a person you dislike and disrespect. It is not an easy process, as all the hard work you have put into getting you to the place you are will be almost in vain if you allow this to reshape who you are.
This is just a bump in the road and needs to be looked at that way with the intent to learn something from it, as there is a lot to learn not just about others but also about yourself.
So, you need not take that personally, as this is a reflection of someone else's incapacity to grow, change, evolve, and develop, and not yours. That is crucial to understand. Do not allow yourself to be discouraged from speaking up and offering solutions, even when it is temporarily working against you. Don't allow yourself to get distracted from the mission which is delivering your best performance in line with the company's mission, vision, and standard and your values.
Use your common sense and best judgment to understand how deep the inability to accept constructive advice is spread across the company culture. If this is something that is isolated to particular individuals within certain segments of the company, then it can be addressed with time. If it is deeply embedded into the company culture, then it might be better to start looking for other environments that are more suitable for individuals willing to perform and actively participate in the company's success.
How to live in reality and address toxic behaviors
Obviously, we all live in our reality as we see the world through our eyes, which are tainted with all our past experiences, beliefs, education, position effects, expectations, motivation and fears. The same will apply to everyone in our company. Each person will have their version of reality and will need to find common ground in every interaction, especially when this type of challenge arises.
Living in reality would require you to step away from your position and view the circumstances from a different perspective, which includes the perspective of the person(s) who display toxic behaviors. Perhaps there is an angle that you might understand and address when interacting with them, which might show them that there is a common ground after all and ease them into communicating and collaborating.
And yes, that requires you to be the better person, but it is a small investment for a greater reward for all.
You might discover that the person who undermined and stopped you from expressing yourself did it out of fear, which does not make it any better, but it helps you identify a way forward.
Perhaps addressing that fear and offering collaboration and assistance on a personal note might ease off the competitive attitude and recover the person's passion for teamwork. It might have them relax and empower them to show their weak side in a leap of faith and trust in their colleagues. That would be a win for everyone, and it would definitely give you peace of mind.
You might, however, hit another wall with that approach, which will leave you somewhat disappointed but content with the effort and the rational realization of the limitations within the team and the individual in question.
That might then open opportunities to utilize and activate other mechanisms of resolution at your disposal per the company policies and LOGs.
Either way, you will get positive results as you have understood the circumstances and the triggers of the unwanted toxic behavior. You have come to the realization by being objective and rising above your feelings and opinions and provided an opportunity to address it.
If the outcome is negative after all the opportunities and mechanisms have been exhausted, then you will be left with a clear understanding of the company culture and a self-imposed resolution in the form of engaging with new opportunities.
Staying in an environment where your expertise is not needed, or worse, not wanted is not a good long-term plan, as it will negatively affect you. This then leaves you with a clear understanding of the only rational solution, which is also a positive resolution in the grand scheme of things.
So, stepping into a new role and hitting the wall might end up being a blessing in disguise.
