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Welcome to Welcome to

Starting Off Right: Professional Workplace Success

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Session Goals

By the end of the webinar, you will be able to: Identify approaches to rapidly and comprehensively understanding

organizational culture Apply best practices for in-person, phone and email

communications Employ strategies that enhance a smooth transition at your

sponsoring organization Implement effective techniques for developing strong, proactive

relationships with your supervisor and peers

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Today’s Agenda

Organizational Culture Office Dynamics Communication Culture Supervisor Relationship Cultivating Patience “Dress” for the Job You Want

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Today’s Speakers

Denise Riebman George Washington University; CareerHappinessCoaching.com

Erin Thomas

International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Baltimore, Maryland

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Stop, Look and Listen: Understanding Organizational Culture

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TALK to your colleagues LISTEN to your colleagues Build INTER-departmental connections Build MULTI-level relationships

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Work hours Office appearance Meeting culture Professional attire

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Initial training: OSOT (On-site Orientation and Training) or new staff onboarding processes: What makes an employee successful? What challenges are ahead? What are the needs of the community? What are current and future priorities?

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Ask, Pause, Ask Again: Understanding Office Dynamics

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Who is the go-to person? Who is the make-things-happen person? Other Who’s Who: Supplier Manager Meeting Organizer Tech Guru

Chat Question: Who are other key people to know at an organization?

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What insights can your supervisor offer to support you achieving your goals? What perspectives can

colleagues provide?

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Where do people eat lunch? Where are the hidden spots? Where are the “hot spots” at

your organization?

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When does your supervisor like to have meetings? When is a good time for

questions? When do you need to ask for

time off? When do your colleagues like

to talk “shop” or talk “fun?”

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How do you ask depending on powerful/influence? How do you know who has

seniority? How do your supervisor/peers

prefer questions? Email? Phone? In-person? At meetings? How do people schedule? Emails?

Electronic calendar requests?

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Think, Pause, Think, Pause Again: Understanding Communication Culture

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Think/Write/Speak carefully Err on cautious side Err on positive side

Chat Question: What phrases have you used in an email that creates a positive tone?

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Review emails….review again Write with reader’s needs in mind Consider tone Prep for calls and meetings

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Reply versus Reply ALL Email versus Call versus In-Person Interrupt versus Breathe

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Take Responsibility for Your Supervision

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Mutual expectations Organization priorities 3/6/9 month goal setting

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Early wins Solution orientated Growth mindset

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Guest Speaker

Erin Thomas International Rescue

Committee (IRC) Baltimore, Maryland

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Working across departments

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Sharing an office with my supervisor

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Obtaining buy-in from busy staff

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Cultivate Patience

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Accepting what you don’t love Accepting what you don’t know Allowing time for results Allowing time for own adjustment Assessing your goals Assessing fit

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“Dress” for the Job You Want

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Excel at your VAD…and more Put in the time…but keep life balance Be open to learning…and then learn more Always act professional…you never know who is watching Find role models…and roll with the modeling

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Resources Watch: Managing Up: Navigating the VISTA-Supervisor Relationship Writing with Purpose, Precision, and Pizazz

Read: Mindset by Carol Dweck Follow: Lindsey Pollack, Millennial Workplace Expert,

lindseypollak.com, twitter.com/lindseypollak

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“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only

way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.

The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

Steve Jobs

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Evaluation

Please take a few moments to share your feedback through the quick poll on the right side of the screen. How can we improve these sessions? What topics should we

include in future webinars? Thank you very much for your time and participation!

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Questions

To ask a question verbally, call in using the number on this slide and press *1 To ask a question electronically, use

the Q&A feature located in the bottom right corner of the screen. Please ask “All Panelists”

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Thank You for Your Participation! If you have further questions or for more information, contact us:

VISTAwebinars@cns.gov

Our next webinars:

Strategies for Focusing Your Career Search – Feb 9 Creating High Impact Images for Better Outreach – Feb 28

2:00pm Eastern

Visit the Webinars for VISTAs page on the VISTA Campus for a complete schedule of VISTA webinars