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Of Networking and Rapports

Starting at a new workplace is always scary - especially in a setting that you have never worked at before. I was a house officer in hospital and a medical officer in emergency department, MCH clinic and outpatient clinic. Then, became a medical officer in-charge for 5 years. In conclusion, I have worked with patients and a team of different professions for the past 10 years. Now, my work involves various ranks of professions (specialists, medical officers, nurses), other departments (eg state health dept), planning and data analysis...and no patients directly.

When I first started, it was already the last quarter of 2023. So, naturally, all the plans were laid out and all I had to do was follow them. I was lucky that my predecessor was still in the same office as me, so I got to ask him anything. I was familiar with the bulk of things because I was an MCH medical officer at a clinic before. But, I did not realize how extensive the program had gotten for the past 5 years. It was huge.

I sought help, naturally, in HBR articles. One of the most helpful was How to Succeed Quickly in a New Role by Rob Cross, Greg Pryor, and David Sylvester. The title is self-explanatory. In the article, they explained about "The Fast Movers Strategies". Most companies do not really have a good transitioning program, and, if you worked in MOH Malaysia, you KNOW that you learn virtually everything from past experiences and pass overs. One of the strategies that I found most helpful was - Surge rapidly into a broad network.

In an organization, there is a formal organization chart and an informal one. The informal one is vital to know as it may help you get things done quicker. An informal organization chart is a list of people whose source of power came from their wide influence, experience and knowledge. These people may not even be in the formal organization chart, but, they are the ones you need to know to make your work easier. Therefore, it is important to know as many people as possible, throughout all the ranks and to make a positive and lasting impression on every one.

I am lucky because I was the head of the clinic previously, so I am familiar with the people in the district health office. Also, during Covid, I was stationed here so I was familiar with the people in both the administrative part and the epidemiology / disease control part. But, I still had to be more familiar with the newer people and the true culture within the organization. This took some time to adapt in. 

Another strategy that I think is important is to stay close to your core team. Always be visible and approachable, and adapt to their norms. If you find that your core principles differ from their norms, still stay close. But, slowly, find ways to change the norms (if they are problematic) after you have build a rapport. In order for you to change an organization, your rapport must be good. This I learned from Adam Grant's Originals. People need to know you in order to follow you. Convincing people to change, even for the good, is not an easy task.

I am always thankful that I got opportunities to meet amazing people during my career and learn from the less amazing ones. I guess if you are always searching for opportunities, you are bound to find one. So, always keep your eyes open. Always be on the lookout for the red car.

So, transitioning is always scary. But, you can find your way through networking and building a good name for yourself...and always look out for opportunities.



 

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