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Truth 2. Act Dumb and Think
Dirty: the Less You Say the More you Learn
Kids growing up in tough neighborhoods quickly learn to “act
dumb and think dirty.” Mouthing off might make an older
tougher kid think you’re a “wiseguy.” So you keep your mouth
shut - “act dumb” - and trust no-one – “think dirty.” In the
meantime, you watch and listen, checking out how others
behave, testing their integrity, working out how you fit
into the mix.
Such tactics serve grown adults equally well in any new
organizational neighborhood. The less you say when you start
a job, the better you position yourself to learn about the
organization and how it works, and your new colleagues and
how they work together. The early days should be about
listening and observing, while giving away as little as
possible. After all, you don’t know who’s who or what’s
what.
Acting dumb doesn’t mean being sullen or reticent, so that
people think you are shy or rude, but it does mean not
volunteering opinions or information unless asked, and when
you are asked, keeping your response to a minimum. You don’t
want to shout your mouth off and then find out you’ve
trampled on someone’s sacred cow about how business should
be done. So take part in day-to-day easy conversation, but
keep your ideas to yourself.
It’s a good idea to have some pat answers to standard
questions worked out, like where you came from and how you
like working in the new company. But keep these short and
sweet: the kind of thirty second “elevator speeches” you
might offer a stranger between floors. You don’t want to
reveal a lot about yourself until you are comfortable with
your co-workers and their way of thinking. Once you’ve given
your answer, you can them politely ask the other person
questions about how things are done “around here,” building
your knowledge of the way in which the company operates.
Now, what about “thinking dirty?” You may think that this
sounds a bit paranoid? Well don’t! See it as maximizing
opportunities. In those early days, you have the privilege
of checking out your co-workers, and thinking about how to
work with them in the best possible way. You need to be
prepared to think the worst, particularly of those with whom
you will have to work closely. Take advantage of being the
silent person in the room to observe and listen to your
colleagues in different circumstances. Then actively process
and question the “data” you collect. This intelligence
gathering will help you know who you can trust, and prepare
strategies for dealing with those of whom you’re not so
sure.
There are key things to look out for. Do your colleagues
badmouth people who are not in the room? If yes, be aware
that they might do that about you. Do they reveal things
that are confidential about the business? If they do, it’s
possible that they’ll let your own thoughts and ideas slip.
Do they change what they say with different people? If so,
it may be hard to know if what they tell you is the whole
story or just the part they want you to hear.
“Acting dumb and think dirty” is a savvy tactic to protect
yourself at work. It’s useful not only when you start a new
job, but also on a daily basis. Bring it into play whenever
you need time to figure out a new situation. |
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