No seat at the table

Question

Any advice for a new younger worker?  I recently started working at a company that's known for its inclusive policies and opportunities for growth. Yet as one of the youngest members of the team, I'm never invited to offer my ideas on company projects and policies — I'm not even invited to the meetings. I have ideas and I want to learn more about what's going on in the company, but I feel like I'm always shut off.  How can I get my foot in the door?

Amy Fortney, PMP · Answer

This is something that I consult with young professionals about. We all want to get ahead quickly. It's important to understand that when you are new to a company, you should spend the first 6-12 months learning your job, cultural cues, and strategic objectives  of the company. Yes, it takes that long to be completely competent in ALL those areas. There is always more to know and better work habits to develop. Obviously, do the job as it is laid out in the description to the best of your ability. Keep that document handy and use it as a checklist and way of grading your own knowledge and performance. Do independent study with the available training materials/programs, regulations, and policies available to become a Subject Matter Expert on your own time. Learn everything you can about the functions of all departments and software, especially proprietary systems. Ask good questions at the right times. Meet and exceed the metrics or Individualized Scorecard goals. Learn the facts of the products and services so that you could desribe them to anyone in an elevator. Be deliberate and careful about the relationships you develop with co-workers - no gossip, no cliques. How will others perceive you? Make sure that you look the part, even in a casual environment. What does your manager wear? Credibility comes with THAT level of competency. IQ AND EQ. That's how those ahead of you earned a seat at that table. So it isn't about the quality of your ideas in the early part of your time there, which I'm sure are great, it's that you aren't yet at the place where you can tell the organization what, if anything, should be better.  Most of the time, established companies have tested their systems. The 'hows' have been tried, have failed, and have been rebuilt by people long before you arrived. There are those whose role, usually executives, it is to see the market disruptors and create them or answer them. Value the lessons that have already been learned.  Look for a mentor. Speak with your manager privately and ask for feedback. What objectives have you mastered? Where can you improve? Take the suggestions for improvement and go master those tasks/areas where your skills need development.  Once you've done that, ask for additional responsibilities. It's time to be of use to your co-workers and show that you can handle more. Discuss development of a career path/plan so that your manager can help you. Let your manager know that your goal is to be included in those planning discussions and to grow beyond your current role. A good manager at a good company with a good culture will help you do that. Good luck!

Janet Parkhurst · Answer

Dear Anonymous,
I think all the advice you've been given is great--especially the 'early career' phrase. However, I think waiting passively is a mistake--at early career or advanced career! And we women tend to behave passively at work, almost as if we're waiting to be given permission to show our true talents and intelligence. It'll never happen! And how would you like to hear your fantastic idea uttered by someone else, which will happen eventually, if you wait six months to a year in order to feel empowered to share. I think companies respect and prefer proactive employees  over passive ones. What I would do? Email your ideas/suggestions to the relevant department head and any others who may benefit from them. But always, always, always CC your boss. That way, you will never be accused of going over anyone's head. But, whatever, do not wait to speak up. I think, in the right environment, your interest and participation will be well received and, possibly, the fastest route to an invitation to join in a meeting.

M Elizabeth Ingram · Answer

Have you asked if you can join meetings as a learning opportunity?  It at least gets you in the door and makes you appear proactive.

Jennifer Thornton · Answer

I hear this concern from all levels - fresh grads to executives. Often we have to build trust prior to getting invited to the table. Forcing your way or reacting when you are not invited - will never get you the invite. Think of ways to engage after the meeting with all of your great ideas. If you are assigned a project that comes out of the meeting, ask your boss a few questions.

Example:
I'm excited to jump into this project. Do you mind if I ask a few questions about the intent and how this impacts the business? Knowing the business impact will help me think about all of the different ways to approach the project.  - This will start a higher level conversation and show your boss you are ready for prime time.

Good Luck!

Anonymous · Answer

It's really hard to give any advice with this because there are so many unknown variables. I am a Millennial and when I first joined the workforce I felt the same way. I learned that at that stage of my career I needed to spend more time listening, absorbing, and learning. Not sharing my ideas. It was a challenge in the beginning. What helped me was working on relationship building outside my immediate boss and team. Putting in the effort in this way actually led many to reach out for my help/assist on certain projects. By extending yourself in this way, you can show that you are proactive. Often when others see that you are helper they are more willing to share. With that being said, think deeply about a project/gap at work that exists right now. Pick one that either no one has the time to do or no one cares enough about it. Pitch your idea to solve/improve that gap and ask to lead on that change. More often than not, you will get the support to try this out and see it to fruition. It can be an opportunity to prove you are a valuable contributor, regardless of your age or tenure at the organization! While working on the project seek buy in from those around you (the ones you build good relationships with). Practice doing this again and again, eventually you will inadvertently get yourself into that meeting.

A M · Answer

Hi! That’s a tough call. On one hand, I do agree that this is your “observation” stage in which you should be observing all that the company is about but on the other hand I personally feel that if the company is inclusive and depending on your role, they should at least be inviting you to meetings if the meetings also include your position AND at the very least maybe once ask “what do you think about this.?” Perhaps they are thinking that you need to learn and observe and perhaps even earn your way to input And meetings but if a company doesn’t make you feel comfortable at this entry point, I wonder what it will be like in the future?  In my new job, when I went to the operations meeting, which my boss invited me to, during the first week,  I had nothing to say but they still passed me the speaker and simply said, introduce yourself to everyone and simply say what you are working on now. I, not working on anything at the moment as I was still in training, responded with what I was learning about the company and what I was doing with training, who was helping me learn it and what I was learning on my own personal time about the company policies. At least they gave me a chance to Speak whether or not it was relevant, it allowed me to gain some confidence at the meetings and made me feel inclusive. If your role requires you to be at the meetings, than what is happening can be considered a kind of bullying where you are excluded and that can make you feel horrible. Perhaps bring it up to your boss and ask if you could attend one of the meetings to observe the protocol and relationship dynamic and to understand the infrastructure and how roles and topics are relating to one another.  I’d also keep a notebook of all of your wonderful ideas because there may be a point where you wish to share or are asked to share them or show them to your boss. I wish you luck!

Shanna Hocking · Answer

It’s terrific to know you chose a company that has a rep for being inclusive and supportive of growth. I also think it’s great that you want to raise your hand for projects and to share ideas. I would ask for time with your manager to talk through the things you’d like to learn and be specific about how you hope to contribute. You don’t have to be in meetings to do that. Acknowledge that you still have more you’re working on and you believe the company is the great place to do it.

PS I try to leave words like “younger” out of my work vocabulary and use “early career” instead. Others will use younger as a way to show why you don’t have enough experience which I think has nothing to do with age and I find it’s self-limiting when we apply this mindset to ourselves.

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