Escape the pressure to prove yourself quickly

Starting a new role creates this weird pressure to prove yourself quickly.

As a new engineer you want to commit something. As a project manager you want to ship a feature. As a manager you want to make decisions. The instinct is to move fast and show progress.

But the way to actually learn and succeed is different. You need to understand the problem well enough that you can explain it to others. Then make a plan on how to solve it. Then get feedback on that idea.

This feels counterintuitive when you’re new. It feels like you’re not doing anything. But it’s what actually works.

If you manage or coach people, this is something you have to make explicit. You can’t assume they know this.

Tell them: you’re new here. Your focus right now is to understand this role and these challenges. I want you to be able to explain them back to me.

Then depending on their level, you’ll need different amounts of handholding. Junior people need you to walk them through what understanding actually looks like. Senior people need permission to slow down and think. Experienced people in new domains need help knowing what questions to ask.

The pressure to ship something fast is real. But the people who succeed long-term are the ones who understand deeply first.