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Think of a new role or assignment like buying a car. For a car, a large amount of cash may be required for a downpayment followed by ongoing expenses. Similarly, when overcoming a learning curve, there is an upfront investment of time and effort that reaps dividends, followed by smaller efforts consistently over time.

My advice is a hypothesis, not a formula. Follow the hypothesis faithfully and then check the results. Was the hypothesis correct? If you modify the advice, are your results better? Trust your instincts and apply the advice appropriately

Failure checkpoint 1: Be your own cushion

In any new situation, the learning curve is real. We each fail at different points in that journey. Depending on the project, it can take days or months to get up to speed.

For a while, I found it hard to accept this because I saw it as “slowing down.” Everyone else seemed to move fast. But I observed closely and saw how others set themselves up for success. During this steep learning curve, they didn’t start new hobbies, or they off-loaded some family responsibilities to get extra time to learn.

As with driving, when drivers decelerate to round a corner and accelerate as they exit, my colleagues slowed down temporarily so they could speed up as they tackled the learning curve.

Speeding up requires a safety net to cushion stumbles and fails. If the new role is highly visible or involves key technical or business risks, then there might not be much of a safety net at work. Instead, build a safety net by creating personal and professional boundaries — such as saying no or changing family responsibilities — and time to learn from your failures.

Failure checkpoint 2: Be aware

If your transition involves moving from being a contractor, co-op worker, or intern to a full-time employee, here are some things to consider:

• Failure happens. More is expected of you as a full-time engineer, but colleagues will give you grace because you’re new.
• Expect possible changes in the performance review process. You can get converted to full time or promoted into a new role in the middle of a performance cycle. Ask your human relations department or your manager when the review cycle happens and how it works. Request goal-setting documents, templates, and examples. Check out the advice on performance reviews in SWE Magazine’s Winter 2024 issue.
• You will have increased access to employee-only resources. You will likely have more access to companywide emails, town halls, employee resource groups, and other resources. Take advantage of them. After I attended a meeting or town hall, I would check my understanding by asking colleagues what they thought of the meeting or about a specific point I was confused about. I have often learned something new about team culture or leadership’s priorities this way.

Failure checkpoint 3: Take initiative and reintroduce yourself to the team

Colleagues may know you only by name or reputation. Reintroduce yourself and share your past accomplishments. Treat it like a two-way job interview even though you have the job.

Be equally interested in learning about your colleagues. Ask about favorite projects to find out how they work and learn what “good” looks like at the company. Keep the chat casual, whether virtual or in person, and brief.

In my first job after graduate school, I made the mistake of not reintroducing myself in a new role within the same department. My colleagues knew of me, but they didn’t know my accomplishments. When I met a manager who was not my supervisor for lunch, he was interested in my past experiences. When I asked about his experiences, I learned about the medical device industry and how our team functions. He told me that our team’s matrix structure was more complicated than that of many other companies, which validated a concern I had. Before that conversation, I blamed myself because I found our matrix organization confusing to navigate.

Connecting and forming bonds with colleagues early on will make it easier to ask for support later. Always build relationships before you need them!

Failure checkpoint 4: Be brave

Often, you may know overall objectives but have no idea where to start on a new project. Be brave and ask for help. Use the relationships you’ve just built.

It also helps to close the loop with those who assist you. I thank senior colleagues and tell them how their explanations helped me solve problems. Most of them appreciate that I took the time to follow up and involve them in my success. They become more willing to answer my questions in the future.

Maintain a growth mindset by trying and failing iteratively. Be kind to yourself in the process because, according to Psychology Today, failure makes you perceive your abilities as less than they really are.

Failure checkpoint 5: Be accountable

Own up to mistakes right away. By observing a research and development team lead, I learned an important lesson about failure: focus on fixing the problem, not how people will perceive you when they learn about the mistake. It didn’t matter to my leader whether the mistake was mine or my technician’s. Her focus was on finding a solution. Her opinion of me wasn’t damaged based on these mistakes. Her opinion was based on how I handled them.

Sharing an action plan or process change with your manager and team so a mistake doesn’t happen again can be a good learning moment for everyone. Contrary to what we may think, it is viewed favorably.

Tune-ups along the way

Long-term growth depends on your reflection skills. You can adopt a strategic mindset to make future learning curves gentler by:

• Reflecting on past actions and carrying forward sustainable approaches
• Understanding the broader context of your work

Once, a senior leader mentored me on how to reflect to improve my leadership skills. This focused reflection enabled my success. It also led me to think more strategically about a product launch.

I hope these suggestions make a difference for you!

References
“How Do I Prepare for Performance Reviews,” SWE Magazine, Winter 2024

“10 Surprising Facts about Failure,” Psychology Today, Jan. 6, 2015