“Been There, Done That?” Probably Not

Written by Mike Shapiro |

| December 6, 2016

When you’ve been around an organization for awhile, it’s tempting to get stuck thinking you’ve been there, done that, and that nothing ever really changes. But think about the perspective of that new hire that just came on board. It’s likely that person would see new types of challenges here, and believe she has new ways to meet them.

The place. The people. The challenge at hand. This looks familiar. So, the experience that will follow — the problems, the frustrations, the attitudes — should be pretty much the same as before, right?

Probably not, if you’re willing to ask a few questions:

Been there. After an assignment in Outbound Marketing, you’re reassigned back to the Customer Management Division. Last time you were there 2 years ago, you found that kind of work to be tedious and not a good place to use your creativity. Ask: What are the unit’s current objectives and how are they different from before? How can you put to use what you’ve just learned and enjoyed doing in Outbound Marketing?
Done that. You’re asked to head up a team to tackle the problem of bringing back lost customers. You had a similar assignment 18 months ago and, although you worked hard and presented a coherent proposal with some great ideas, nothing came of it. Ask: Is there a different level of senior leaders’ receptivity to this kind of initiative? Using your increased knowledge and business maturity, can you present a more compelling case today? What new tools can you employ that didn’t exist the last time you tackled problems like this?
With these people. You’re assigned to a new division of your company where you’ll be working closely with Steve and Idi. You worked with them previously and, while they seemed to work well with each other, you found them to be unreceptive to your input and suggestions, and a lot of your time was spent dealing with their negative attitudes. Ask: Who else is in the new division? What is the interaction dynamic among the current players? What have you learned about working with others that you can bring to bear on these relationships? How can the skills and experience of the people you found difficult be constructively brought to bear on the project?

Any time we find ourselves saying and thinking we’ve been there and done that, and that we can expect a replay of all that came before, it pays to ask: “What’s different? What can I do to bring about a better outcome?”