[cknight]

I'm sure many here on HN did this long ago, but for me: Learning how to get by in a large org for the first time.

1 month ago I was responsible for the entire IT function of an SMB. I was the guy who knew everything required to get stuff done, and I reported directly to the CEO. A lot of processes were not formalised because the overheads of doing so weren't worth it.

New job, now working for the government in a skyscraper full of colleagues. I know virtually nothing, there is no onboarding to speak of, and I am second from the bottom in a huge hierarchy strangled by red tape. Every day I find out that there is another whole team dedicated to doing something I thought I was going to have to work out myself - which has pros and cons. I haven't even seen an org chart yet, but I've just been told "those teams over there are getting outsourced next month". So I think I know why there is no up-to-date org chart...

It's different. But it's a pay rise, and I'm not bored anymore. The level of coordination required to get anything done here is a learning exercise in itself. After my first week I was worried I wasn't cut out for this sort of thing, but after a couple more weeks I'm finding it... fun? Still weird though.

[zhdc1]

A couple of things I've learned over time:

- Soft skills matter, but performance (against your metrics) is still what matters in the end. Group dynamics only comes into it when you have a bunch of people at the same level of performance.

- You'll be ahead of a lot of your peers if you stay positive and don't gossip and don't do office "politicking" (in a bad sense).

- Plan your career around three year stints. At the end of each stint, evaluate your career progress against your long term goals. Don't be afraid to transfer jobs or take time off for learning (e.g., by getting a graduate degree).

[jeffreyrogers]

> You'll be ahead of a lot of your peers if you stay positive and don't gossip and don't do office "politicking"

This is important. I've worked with people who are constantly criticizing the company/other people, and while they are usually right, it undermines the morale of everyone else.

[wenc]

Try reading High Output Management by Andy Grove. He built many of the processes at Intel and his book is guide and a narrative on how he did it. The principles are now commonplace in many companies but no one tells you how they came about —- this book helped me figure out how management worked in a large company when I started at one years ago and gave a behind the scenes look which was helpful for me to decipher my experiences.

At the very least, reading this book is a way to pick the brain of one of the most brilliant managerial minds of our time (he passed away a few years ago). It’s usually hard to find good mentors in any company, so reading books is one way to get mentored by someone outside the company.

[jacquesm]

Good luck with that. Keep a sharp eye on the door and have a 'plan-B' in case you need it.

[exikyut]

This hit the frontpage a few weeks ago, and may be interesting: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27414443

[sli]

That sounds in every way like my nightmare and the reason I want to cram tech back into the hobby pile and switch careers.