Transitioning projects — the good and the not so good
Having recently transitioned from The Standards and Testing Agency to NHS Digital, the feeling of being overwhelmed and not up to the task, nervous but also excited, plus motivated and optimistic shrouded me during my first month. In this blog, I’m going to share what I experienced and continue to experience, which will hopefully resonate with others out there.
The good
Transitioning projects for me encompassed the following three motivating factors:
New opportunities
Transitioning to different projects allows you to expand your skill-set and broaden your experience. During these first few years in my career, I want to effectively be a sponge, absorbing all of the opportunities that arise and the invaluable experience that comes with those opportunities. I’ve always tried to maintain the mindset of constantly putting myself into the deep-end, challenging myself, because the best ‘lessons learnt’ arise from opportunities that are new and unfamiliar.
Key points
- If you can explore different opportunities whenever they arise, this will only help further your career progression and skill-set.
- Absorb as much as you can from every opportunity you have; learn, ask questions, be inquisitive.
New challenge
Exploring new problems, new use cases, new users to research with, new stakeholders, is something very exciting to look forward to. Having a new environment, atmosphere and culture to adapt within is all part and parcel of accepting a new challenge.
This is exactly what I’ve found joining a new team, the challenge that comes with it is adapting to and learning new ways of working; understanding new problem statements, understanding who the users of the new project are, talking to and managing the expectations of new stakeholders.
Key points
- Constantly challenge yourself and the skill-set you have to further improve and evolve them.
- If something isn’t really making you critically think, is it improving your professional development?
New people
Meeting a new team that you’ll be working with day in day out can seem like a terrifying prospect. However, look at it from the angle of collaborating with a number of experts in their respective fields, learning from them, understanding their points of view, them learning from you, and making new connections.
Key point
- Being part of a team that has a vast breadth of experiences and knowledge is the perfect and ideal environment to be in.
The not so good
As with everything, the good always comes with doubts and nerves which creep into your mind whenever you’re starting a new role. The following three aspects are where I see I struggled the most:
Being overwhelmed with information
Naturally, when joining a new project, the amount of information you have to absorb and digest is tremendous. I know I definitely felt overwhelmed with the amount of information I needed to know and understand before I could fully commit to my new role. However, I soon understood, with the help of my Hippo hand-over colleague, that not everything would be expected from me straight away. Absorbing ways of working, the project, what’s expected of me, who the different members of the team are and what they do, these all take time.
Key points
- Don’t feel like you have to be ready to produce work the minute you join your new team, time is your best friend, take the time to process and understand everything being said to you.
- If you have a hand-over partner or a buddy when you first join the team, take full use and advantage of them, remember, there are no stupid or silly questions.
Self-doubt
This is probably one of my biggest lessons learnt when starting something new. ‘Am I right for this role?’, ‘What am I doing here?’, ‘What if I make a fool of myself?’ are just some of the endless questions that run through my mind. But again, joining a new team, you are not expected to know everything off the bat, everyone knows you’re still trying to wrap your head around the project, and that it will take time before you begin to feel your stride and start delivering value.
Key points
- It’s easier said than done, but try not to beat yourself up about having quite literally no clue about anything, this will again all come with time.
- Listen, observe and ask questions — these are the most important things you can do.
Constantly overthinking
My worst habit — bloating what seems like simple and straightforward things way out of proportion. This is still a hard habit for me to overcome, but the single most important thing I’ve found that helps me whenever I’m overthinking is to just talk to someone about it, either a hand-over partner, a buddy or a friendly face within the team, anyone. The moment you start overthinking elements of either deliverables or information is the moment when things start to snowball, and you’ve either completely missed the mark on a task, or you’ve misinterpreted crucial bits of information.
Key points
- Ask questions, talk to members of your team, this will be a good icebreaker for you if you haven’t introduced yourself yet and it could also help establish professional relationships with members of your team.
- If something doesn’t make sense, don’t guess. The people that surround you know that you won’t know everything as soon as you join, and will be more than welcome to answer any questions you may have.
Conclusion
So to conclude, I know how daunting it is joining a new project and team, and I’m sure everyone out there knows too. Do feel motivated and excited to join a new project, a new challenge will only help further your skill-set and your professional development. Meeting new people, making new connections, leaving your mark on a project will only further your career prospects.
Don’t feel like you’re alone, don’t feel like you need to deliver instantly and most importantly, don’t feel like you’re not worth being in the place you’re at, you’re only as good as the team around you, and I was fortunate enough to have a fellow Hippo colleague who made the transition into my new role at NHS Digital seamless. Thank you Will Hepworth!
