“People like me” are often those we trust the most, especially around work issues.

Peers share similar experiences and can relate to what we’re doing. And they also often have different perspectives, based on their backgrounds, their skills, and other events that have shaped them. As a result, they can provide valuable advice and direction.

That’s why I’m launching HAPAAA: “Help a peer acclimate, accelerate and achieve” in a new role.

HAPAAA is a crowd-sourcing experience to gather guidance, suggestions, and stories from individuals who have already moved into a new role – either with their same organization or a different one.

For example, if you’ve switched roles within the past five years or so, you’re probably in an excellent position to share your hard-earned wisdom in this survey. You can look back and see what worked well for you to hit the ground running. And you also might insights that you can share on how to swerve the potholes or speed bumps that come up during transitions.

What’s in it for you to share? Three benefits:

1. The opportunity to be featured in a book I’m compiling (and you’ll receive a free copy as well). My plan is to thank everyone who contributed by name in the book. Your comments will be published separately from your name though to allow you and everyone else who participates confidentiality so you can be candid.

2. The chance to win an Amazon.com gift certificate, in addition to your free copy of the book.

3. The occasion to reflect on your own experience, which might give you some helpful insights, especially for the next time you move into a new role.

How do you tell your stories and share your ideas? Just take a few minutes to answer these questions. The link is https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HAPAAA18.  If you’d prefer to talk by phone, just tell me.

And if you know others who have job-changing experiences to share, please pass along this link, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HAPAAA18, to them. Thank you!  

I’ll keep you posted on my progress, including the anticipated publishing date. The earliest will likely be the end of 2018 or early 2019.

Why am I doing this now? I’m now focusing my coaching and consulting work even more on senior leaders in new roles. I have extensive experiences (successful and enjoyable too) on which to draw, especially supporting individuals who’ve been hired to fulfill a change mandate or make change. For example, some of these projects include developing crisis plans, making the communication function more agile and customer-focused, and building out the leadership development offerings.

Now I want to enhance my expertise by involving others who also are extremely qualified to provide their points of view.

We all can take advantage of and benefit from the powers of crowd-sourcing. Our peers can boost us to learn and improve.

As for those of you who have recently started new roles, you know the work is hard, even perilous, especially if you’re also changing industries or moving to a new geographical location as well as joining a new organization. It’s easy to walk into traps and make other wrong moves.

You can’t count on any global positioning systems, search maps or step-by-step instructions. You can read some books, but that may not be enough to prepare you for the complexities you now face almost on a daily basis. Nor can you always get the level of support you want and need to succeed in your new role.

Each organization and its situation are unique, especially because of all the humans involved. For example, as others have discovered, NASA can calculate with amazing accuracy the orbit of the Space Station over your work building, but no one can confidently predict what your co-workers will say in tomorrow’s meeting.

When you’re in a new role, you’ve got to invest time and energy into a number of competing priorities.

For example, you’ve got to inspire, involve and influence your team members and others quickly and credibly to fulfill the promises you’ve made to yourself and your new boss.

You’ve also got to juggle building relationships with new staff and colleagues; assessing the situation; setting goals and milestones; figuring out how to get some early wins; and building credibility and trust as you follow through on your commitments.

The downside if you give short shrift to any of these?  You may lose your chance to get acclimated, much less fulfill your change mandate. It won’t matter that your new boss thought you’d be a good culture fit. The organization can reject you, just as a body can reject a new organ transplant.

When you’re a senior leader in a new role, you can improve your survival rate, and even better enhance your performance and well-being, by getting outside help. You can access specialized assistance, practical advice and camaraderie from people like me, who serve as a trusted advisor.

With my support, leaders boost their momentum, courage, and confidence and are able to make a bigger impact faster.

And now with the power of the crowd, you’ll soon be able to apply feedback from others who’ve walked in your shoes, which will help you hit the ground running and make an even bigger footprint and impact.

Please help a peer acclimate, accelerate and achieve in a new role by taking part in HAPAAA! Thank you!