I am new at a foreign branch of my company and have had a rough start. The transfer to another country was a bigger change than I expected, and I have also been sick a lot during my first two months here (am still not well actually). The obvious outcome of this is a bad start in terms of showing results -- and my energy level and confidence in myself is poor, to put it mildly. And this at a time when it is really important for me to show what I can do (and that I want to do it). It doesn't matter much that I have a good record back home, and I am starting to feel really helpless about all this. Any tricks for how to catch up, and in a mature and professional way put this first period behind me as soon as I get better? Is it really possible to overcome a bad first impression?
judith: First: Get as much rest as you can, and drink lots of decaffinated liquids. If this means you go immediately to bed upon arriving at home and sleep most of you days off, so be it. Second: Post notes to yourself on your bathroom mirror, dashboard of your car: ie., "You can do it! You're the best! Today is the first day of the rest of you life." Stuff like that. It is important to develop a positive attitude of "I am worth it; I can beat this..." , etc. Socialze with people at work who already have positive outlooks on life. Third: Choose one aspect of your work where you feel you have fallen behind. Make a goal to catch up. Take a LITTLE (and I mean little bit) of work home to work on. Lastly: Find out when your peak time is, and do any catch-up work then. Limit how much time you will spend doing it; don't go bonkers and work into the wee hours. You can succeed at this! Best whishes to you!
babsan: Hang in there! Follow Judith's advice, and make sure you use the time you have left to do THE RIGHT THINGS, and not time-consuming stuff like the Web....
nodewarrior: Take multivitamins and extra vitamine C. One multi in the morning, and a multi plus C in the evening. I'm serious, this actually works for me -- I can even feel myself acting more intelligently. I sleep better, wake up more refreshed. Trust me: if you start doing this early in life you will even age slower. I'm 42 and my brother 36, but people always guess I'm the younger.
strawbridge: There is no reason why you cannot overcome your first two months. For your body, I would recommend plenty of fluids, rest, and on your day off a brief session of exercise (walking, running, etc.). For your spirit, I would recommend that you commit 15 minutes every day to "morning pages." It doesn't have to be in the morning (whenever you can be completely alone and undisturbed) and you can "write through" your frustrations, anxieties, fears, hopes, plans, syllabi, goals and whatever comes to mind.
In effect, you will be tending to your daily business before actually going to work. Most importantly, writing your pages will enable you to approach both your personal and professional life.
Good luck!
Tearlach: Judith's advice is the right thing, and I suggest that you follow it. Also, when at work, do your job to the fourth power -- come early, stay late, be productive. This can really help but may take some time. Hang in there!
Teena: Yes! You CAN overcome a bad first impression! It just takes time. I don't know what kind of feedback you're receiving from people, but chances are you're being harder on yourself than your co-workers are. After you've recovered and settled in, your true personality and work ethic will show through. Just be patient.
DLUCKS: The first thing you should do (if you haven't already) is sit down with your supervisor and let him know exactly where you are coming from. Explain the health problems that you have experienced, and the problems adjusting to a different country. If your supervisor is "worthy of their position" he or she will be understanding. Ask them for input on how you can improve your performance, and in what areas they would like to see improvement. Above all, don't be overly critical of yourself. You might also seek out a confidant or mentor at work that will help you and give you guidance. Communication with your supervisor will be the key to the work situation -- medical attention will help to solve your physical ails.
nagarjuna: Judith is right on target. After 3 years in Saudi Arabia as a Western ex-pat I can attest to the difficulties. Find a person who's also and ex-pat and have them show you the ropes; i.e become your mentor. Learn about the cultural idiosyncracies as soon as possible and practice them faithfully. This will help you to get past the stess of culture shock. Get feedback on your work and don't be afraid to tell people you're experiencing difficulty adjusting. If they have half a brain, they'll understand and will "give you a chance". All the best!
Marque: The answers above are very good, but it seems to me your self-esteem is pretty healthy or you would not have taken this leap of faith (moving to a foreign country) in the first place. First you need to find out what is most important to your employer...if you can find out which projects are most important to the company you can concentrate on those. Sometimes we waste our time on things we feel are important and end up missing the boat altogether. Set up a schedule for your projects, and stick to it. You also need to take time for yourself and not feel guilty about it.
Remember -- if your boss comes in and gives you a look that you think is saying "why is this guy taking so long to finish this?" -- he may actually be thinking "why is this guy killing himself on this project?" The message sent is never the message received. Ask.
As far as the 'Net is concerned, I find it to be relaxing but you have to make rules for yourself. Write down the info you are looking for before you get on, and set a time limit. (Even to the point of setting an alarm clock). I tell myself that time is money....would I spend $100 an hour to surf the net? Also, get your printer ready and print out what interests you. You may look at it later and discover you have wasted time on that site, but the only time wasted was getting on and printing it out. You don't say anything about family or friends where you are. You need someone to bounce your feelings off of....if you are alone over there then I think it's good that you can come to a site like this and see that you are not alone. Can you overcome a bad first impression? Sometimes not....but don't give up. Be honest with yourself and your new company. Do they even know that you were sick...or are they thinking you are just not up to snuff?
adsys: In a month or two, you'll look back and wonder what you ever worried about. I like the saying:
"All you can do is all you can do, but, all you can do is enough."
All it takes is a small success to build on. You'll find it soon!
Regards!
champers: The fact you were accepted for this position shows the company you have the ability to get the job done. You can do it, you know you can. I also have had to climatize myself to different enviroments, so I know what you are going through. The energy level will improve with time and taking care of yourself. You are good at your job or you wouldn't be there. JUDITH has many valid points. The road to rebuilding respect is dedication and hard work. You will have to burn the midnight oil for a while but don't overdo it.
If you're married, make sure your wife realizes you will be working late and you need her support. This is only temporary. Once results start comming in, slow down on the overtime gradually until you can achieve the same success rate during normal hours
without burning the late night oil. Good luck and much success in your endeavors. I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT -- PROVE ME RIGHT. And keep us posted.
Bryon1: While you're recovering at work, look for easy, pro-active ways to impress your boss, which will help establish that you're a valuable contributor. For example, promise him or her that you'll finish a certain task in 3 days, and do it flawlessly in 2. Do that a few times and you'll help offset any "bad start" that may have begun. And yes, sleep on the weekends to get over the sickness. No one performs their best when they're not feeling well.
rgharr: A smile and some genuine positive attitude in the stead of a tough situation -- it couldn't hoit!
MLBaker: I'd say that it's likely you'd do well to schedule a talk (either informally or more formally, depending on the environment in which you are working) with your boss and whoever else it's appropriate to do so with. Tell them about how you view the situation (that you've been feeling ill and are not happy with your performance) and let them know that this isn't common for you and that you are holding yourself to the goal of (whatever is appropriate - catching up, earning their respect, etc.).
Letting them know how you view the situation is likely to help in at least two ways. They actually may not be feeling like there is a problem (we can often be more hard on ourselves than others are), and it would be good for your morale to know that if it's so. If they do feel there's a problem, having YOU bring it up and confront it with them will (or should) raise their respect for you and set the stage for the second chance you want, and should get.
Best of luck to you!
torpid: Been there, seen it, done it. You will just have to keep trying 101% every day. I don't want to give you a downer but it's very rare to make it up fully; "you never get a second chance at a first impression". I did this in a job I had once and it took a long time to get back up there, but I did and then I changed jobs (within the same company) thus quitting whilst ahead. And the bad first impression didn't follow me, just the high note I left the department on. Judith's advice is very good also. It's really bad news about the health, but remember that the bottom line is that your health is far more important! If I have done it then YOU CAN DO IT. Now... go for it.
sastack: Judith really worded well what I was thinking. As far as what Babsan said about staying off the Web, just make sure you set time limits on the 'fun' things you do (and stick with them). I guess having a strict schedule of when you go to bed, when you eat, when you read the paper, what time you take your vitamin is important. Usually it takes about 2 weeks for an action to become a habit. It may take longer since you are ill. When we go through stressful times, our resistance to illness becomes low. This may be what happened to you. Along with every thing you are going through, I'll bet there is a little depression also. Being around people who are up will help. But, I believe that you can do it. You know you have what it takes to be good at your job and this will start coming out as your body adjusts to the stresses you've put it through.
howie4: It is my feeling that bad first impressions are an undiscovered valuable resource. First, most of this is your opinion of yourself, not the opinion of others. That means you are not a jerk. If others think poorly of you at first and then discover they are wrong, they feel badly about that and give you the benifit of the doubt FOREVER.
twootton: I agree with the previous notes. In addition, perhaps to better fit in the new culture you could join a local chapter of Toastmasters, Rotary, or(?) to get to know the local business and cultural customs, as well as getting to know some of the local people.
Briton: Do whatever you have to do to get well. I would guard against socializing with co-workers until you are totally healthy again. You may seem like a slacker if you go out after work but can't get through the day effectively. Go to bed at 8 pm if you have to in order to be rested in the morning. You said that your confidence level is poor. Until you actually have confidence in yourself again (and you will eventually) you have to just act confident. Because you sound like you are quite behind in your work you may need to ask your supervisor for help. Explain that you have been ill and are under doctor's care, etc., but have let a few things slide. Have a solution ready that will allow you to catch up with the help of some of your coworkers. Admit that you are responsibly trying to catch up, and will not let things get behind again (and don't!). Don't grovel and whine, just present the problem simply and maturely, and state the way your supervisor can help you catch up. This shows that you are resourceful.
chendo: Cheer up! You're alive and well enough to be on the Internet. And just going through all of this rigamaroll (slang/for nonsense), I know that you are fine. Take time, and Judith's advice ! Also....may the force be with you !!!!
devil: Talk to your employer and tell them what you told us. See how that goes, then take it from there.
The_Leprechaun: The advice above is good to follow. Although I would never think of writing notes to myself it would, if nothing else, give you a little chuckle to start off your day.
In addition to the rest of the advice I would strongly recommend writing down all the things you have to eventually get done. Then prioritize them, start at the top of the list, and work your way down. It will seem slow at first, but I think you will find it to be very efficent. Now don't delay...get to work! REMEMBER: Work is fun and you love your work!
Martysky: I'm with Judith...plenty of sleep is the big key. Also, I find it helpful when I get behind on things to set goals (short-term, interim, long-range) so that I definitely know where I want to be at different points in time. I think this will help you cut down on the feelings of helplessness. Get well soon!
VLemley: I have spent over a decade in foreign countries. I have to agree with judith and babsan. I don't know if you spent any time in reaserching the country you were transferred to -- if not you made a tiny mistake. It sounds to me like you're going through culture shock; I know it happened to me first time out.
If your diet isn't good, consider upgrading it. No skipping a healthy breakfast in favor of a cup of coffee and sweetroll on the fly as you go out the door, for instance. You have to have the energy to face an intense day. You may want to consider an exercise routine also; it helps the body adapt and will provide the stamina for the long haul.
Remember, your company must have thought highly of you even to consider sending you to where you are now -- it sure cost them a bundle. Have faith in yourself! Socialize with your fellow workers and the people in the country you've been assigned to. See the sights, learn the language (if you have time before your assignment ends), make new friends etc. In short, do the things you'd do at home and enjoy this great opportunity to see this wild and wonderful world. Congratulations and the best of luck to you!
