Being effective in a new organisation or setting

Getting into a new organisation, or role, or department, is much like the process of going to live in another country. You need to learn the language and customs, "the way we do things around here,"  if you want to be taken seriously and have some influence. 

Treat the first few weeks as a learning process, with or without a formal induction. Get a sense of who gets listened too, where the power lines are. 

Figure out what matters to people. If you know what matters to them, what their priorities are, then you can explain what you want or bring in new ideas in a way that will get heard.  Connect with the language and style that you see around you - not by imitating, but by matching in a subtle way. This helps people to feel comfortable with you and able to trust what you say.