How do you fit in?
Once you get comfortable in your new agency, keep your eyes and mind open wide. By now you should have a good idea of how your work fits into the daily scheme of the agency's workflow, and how your work earns money for the agency. In addition to that, you also have to know who is who in the agency. You need to get a sense of who is important to the agency owner or owners, and why are they important? Also find out who is viewed as an insignificant employee. In other words, who is a pain to work with or ineffective? When you find out, stay away from these people. People on the outs at the agency will often begin indulging in negative talk and agency bashing. This can be very contagious. And you can be vulnerable to their influence, especially if you are still feeling new and looking for companionship. Agency management and owners watch these people care-fully, usually for an excuse to let them go. If you are seen as one of their com-patriots, you will not be long behind their exit.
Make a habit of associating with people you can learn from. Make that the basis of any friendships that develop early on in your employment. Later, once you know your territory and who you can trust and who you cannot, you can open yourself up for deeper friendships.
Make yourself invaluable
Whatever position you are in, whatever job you are given to do, do it to the best of your ability. Take pride in every little thing you do-no matter how small or seemingly unimportant. When you have some spare moments, look around and see what needs to be done or who you can help. Do not wait to be asked to pitch in. Make yourself invaluable to everyone around you. If you work in the art department, do not think that it is beneath you to lend someone from the clerical staff a helping hand by running errands or answering the phones when you have some extra time. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness, and word will get back to the people at the upper levels that you are ready to help anyone.
Never make a promise you cannot keep
It is far better to say no, with an explanation that you do not want to take on something that you cannot give your full attention to, than to take on too much work because you are afraid someone will get mad at you if you do not. If you do a poor job trying to hurry through it and still complete all your other work, you can be assured that the person who asked you to do it will be angry. And you may end up jeopardizing that person's job, if your work is what he or she has to show to a supervisor or a client is not top notch. That person will be held responsible, not you-at least for the time being. Sooner or later it will come back to you when you do a lousy job. And it will come back to you when you do a great job.
The office grapevine
Every office has a grapevine through which news-truth or rumors-will circulate. You cannot avoid it. If you begin to get wind of a story about you, whether it is truthful or not, try to locate the source and snuff it out at its root. How do you do that? Ask the first person you heard it from where he or she heard it, then go to that person and ask who the next source was. Keep following the rumor from source to source until you get back to the original mouthpiece; then ask that person what the rumor was based on. Do not approach this person with malice or anger. There is usually a grain of truth in every rumor. If there is, own up to what you did or said. Then square any hard feelings that may have occurred as a result of your actions. Then explain the real truth to your source person and get on with your work. Never let an untrue or half-true rumor or misconception hang around uncontested. It will always get worse. In the long and short run, it is always to your advantage to be honest and up-front in your communications and actions.
Never underestimate the power of office politics
Politics in an office environment means looking out for the welfare of one's self. Some people do this more than others. If you are going to survive and thrive in an agency, you have to be conscious of office politics and conform to it. In other words, watch out for yourself. Do not expect anyone else to do it for you. And never underestimate how powerful office politics can be in shaping your future with the agency.
There will always be people in an office who will try to use office politics in a shrewd or unethical way to put themselves in a better position with agency higher-ups or clients. Stay away from them. And also be aware of who they are, and that you can become one of their political pawns at any time. Be careful who you complain to, who you confide in, or cast jeering throw-away remarks to. These people will pick up any tidbit of information that can be used or twisted to make themselves look good and others, like you, look bad.
Partaking in office politics does not have to mean siding up to someone you do not like, just to get ahead. It means being nice to everyone in the office, not getting involved in gossip or sneaky behavior, and making an effort to be present at all office functions, even if you hate them. This is a necessary part of office comradery. Remember people's birthdays and anniversaries. Be a team player who is more concerned about the welfare of the agency and the client. Be loyal to your agency outside the office by holding all client and agency information that you are privilege to in complete confidentiality. The old military saying, "loose lips sink ships" is so true. And if you talk too much, the ship you sink will be your own.
