Knocking 'em dead at a new job?

["Hart, Geoff" <Geoff-H -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA>]

Don Sargent will <<...soon be starting a new job. I'm so excited about this
opportunity that my inner uberwriter keeps me awake at night thinking of all
the good things he's going to do... Aside from doing what they ask really
fast and really well, name fivethings you do to make a great first
impression.>>

1. Don't start trying to change things until you understand how they
currently work, how they got to that state, and why they got to that state.
It'll also be easier once you've accomplished step 2:
2. Start building friendly working relationships with the SMEs from day 1.
Along the way, figure out how each person is different and remember to treat
them differently. Once you've built some credibility, you can start talking
about changing things.
3. If possible, get them to send you information on how they work (e.g.,
house style guide, if any; policies and procedures manual) before you arrive
so you can hit the ground running.
4. If you don't already understand the product category well, make sure
you're at least basically familiar with it before you arrive. You'll want to
know the basic jargon so you can communicate intelligently with the SMEs and
know how to ask informed questions (rather than ignorant ones).
5. Don't forget subscription information to techwr-l so you can subscribe as
soon as your computer is set up.
Bonus: 6. Bring your own jellybeans. <g>

--Geoff Hart, Pointe-Claire, Quebec
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca 
"The paperless office will arrive when the paperless toilet
arrives."--Matthew Stevens