Engaging with Others: Being the Newcomer in the Workplace
We are good at what we do. New colleagues don’t know that when we show up in a new workplace. CANADEM deployees commented on their experience of arriving as newcomers.
The first days
“In my own region I had a network of colleagues and accumulated knowledge that helped establish trust and effectiveness quickly. When I went to a different region I was shocked at the adjustment. I didn’t know the cultures. I had no network of contacts and trust. I didn’t have deep knowledge of the background and context of the mission. … I felt like I was drowning for the first few weeks. I needed to approach this with an attitude of “I will survive” and “this is a new learning opportunity.”
Management and Supervisors
Organizations use different terms to describe office roles within international operations. Using this or another label there will be someone who serves as a Country Director, and they will have a Deputy. Either immediately below or separated by other layers of management there will be a supervisor or manager to whom you will report in carrying out your work.
Deployees had a range of thoughts about working within this leadership structure.
“Ensure your supervisor and Director really want and need you. If the request for your skills came from the outside the country office you may find challenges in being accepted. Your immediate supervisor may not have been in the loop and have less vision for your potential contribution. Your job description, the Terms of Reference (ToR), may turn out to be too generic or out of sync with what the office is trying to do. Be creative and collaborative with supervisors in order to make your job description specific and realizable.
“If challenges remain, the Director or Deputy may see opportunities or other ways to help. Talk with them and your immediate supervisor about expectations and challenges. Be clear about their priorities and expectations. Clarify constraints.
“Sometimes you will be seen as a “spare” and be assigned all kinds of miscellaneous tasks. It is important to be clear about your mission from the beginning. Some may feel that you are “just a consultant”. This is wrong. You are a short term team member. You need to be integrated into the team as someone with a specific job that is critical to the success of the whole team. Remove the word “surge” from your job title.”
The funding for your deployment was provided because of the original job description. If significant changes are being discussed, talk with your contact point at CANADEM who will assist and communicate with the funder for approval.
Other potential challenges
“Some offices have been doing “development” as opposed emergency humanitarian work. The crisis that led to your arriving will require the office to change priorities and ways of working. This can be a challenging adjustment, one which may affect its reaction to you, your time lines and your push to make things happen quickly.
“Offices can be complex communities of locally engaged and international staff. Tensions and disagreements can arise.” [“Managing Disagreements” is the topic of a Note which follows.]
International, Regional and National Offices
There may be gaps in understanding and priorities among national offices and regional and international headquarters. The country office within which you are working may have requested your presence with a six month contract, with headquarters deciding instead to approve a three month contract with a potential extension (and a funder agreeing to a 3 month contract but no extension.) If, instead, you are working in a Regional or Headquarters office you may be seen from national offices as being an outsider who doesn’t understand the local context and its unique constraints. Building relationships and trust becomes even more important. Invest in these. For contract as well as other challenges, work with your CANADEM point of contact.
Other mission stakeholders
International crises involve many players, among them national staff, agencies and governments, NGOs, and international agencies and governments. These include whoever is funding your deployment. Each has their own priorities, perspectives and practices. Networking with those whose work overlaps with yours is important.
Local Counterparts
Most critical to your success will be the relationships you develop with your local counterparts. That is the subject of the next Note.
The role of CANADEM
Share what is happening with CANADEM, which can help in clarifying issues with funders and the agency with which you are working.
