So you’ve landed a leadership position with a new organization. Congratulations!

You’re likely excited to be starting fresh with a new company, but this time you want to do it “right”.  So you may be wondering the best way to make meaningful connections at work from the beginning.

(This goes double if you’ve also just moved to a new city for your job.)

My name is Stacy Mayer and I help corporate managers get promoted into higher level executive positions. On this edition of Your Promotability Factor, I show you three strategies you can start implementing TODAY to build a strong network in your new organization.

#1 Make a plan

The first thing I encourage you to do is reflect on the following question:

What would an executive do?

Well, the first thing an executive would do is create a networking plan.

I’ve talked about creating a 30-day assimilation plan in this article, but the basic idea is this:

Think through (1) who you need to meet, (2) the questions you need to ask, and (3) the people you want to get to know.

What’s NOT included in the assimilation plan is trying to change the entire organization and fixing everything right out of the gate.

Instead, come into this new situation from a place of curiosity, enthusiasm, and joy, and not from a place of trying to solve everybody’s problems all at once.

#2 Seize the moment

When you start at a new organization, you have the perfect excuse to reach out to people you want to connect with – including those who are many levels above you.

So dive in and start building those relationships NOW.

Because, here’s the thing:

You being different, with a different set of life and work experiences, is a huge benefit to your organization.

So, when you’re starting at a new organization, don’t let the limitations of your past experience infiltrate your confidence. Don’t be ashamed of your previous role or responsibilities. Share where you came from and how you hope to grow with this new opportunity.

#3 Connect with the leadership team – the right way

So, you know that you have the perfect excuse to reach out to the leadership team, but you may not be sure how.

Here’s what I recommend:

Reach out and request a meeting, but be very, very specific.

If you send a generic message to multiple leaders, you’re likely not going to hear back.

And if this happens, you may think this is because they’re too busy (and it’s true, they’re very busy), but here’s what I think:

I think you didn’t send a good email.

Anytime you’re communicating with the executive leadership team, you need to demonstrate this above all else:

That you Value. Their. Time.

Their time is a limited resource, and the best way to show that you value their time is through specificity.

Let me give you an example. Let’s say you want to connect with Jim.

Jim is an executive in your organization, so, when you email him, you might say something like this:

“People on my team speak so highly of you, and it was great to meet you during the interview process. I like what you said about X, Y, and Z during the interview. As you know, I just started here from (your previous company/position), and I am scheduling 15 minute conversations with each member of the executive team. I would like to know when is a good time to get on your calendar?”

THAT kind of email might actually produce the result you are looking for.

So dive in, make connections, and seize this amazing opportunity to get in front of senior executive leadership.

If you want to take these strategies even deeper, I invite you to apply for a free career strategy session with me.

Once you apply, we’ll get on the phone and talk through what it’s going to take for you to get to that next level of leadership.

Go here to apply.