Effectively Managing Transitions

Initiate, Engage and Refine Networks
for Success in New Roles

Effectively Managing Transitions

Initiate, Engage and Refine Networks
for Success in New Roles

Explore Managing Transitions and Lessons By Selecting From the Tabs Above.

Effectively Managing Transitions


People who invest in networks in specific ways enjoy more successful role transitions—whether entry into a new organization, lateral transfers/new projects or promotions.

Counterintuitively, it is not a big network that distinguishes more successful people. Rather, people that transition more effectively initiate relationships critical to success, engage others in ways that create pull into networks and continually refine networks for long-term success.

Twenty years of assessing networks and individual performance in more than 300 organizations has shown that having an effective network is an invisible but critical determinant of successful transitions. Leveraging networks in specific ways is one of the most important actions you can take during a transition to enable performance, satisfaction and longevity in role.

Jumpstart productivity and inclusion by cultivating essential connections broadly and before you need help from others.


More successful people proactively initiate relationships critical to success as they move into new roles. They are intentional about who they establish connections with early on, making network investments in anticipation of need.

By establishing relationships early, newcomers pave the way for access to expertise, resources and information and create an essential network platform to work from in the future. Because of their network, they can accomplish much more than if they relied only on their own expertise. They also understand the new context more clearly and can adapt accordingly.

Energize people in your network and pull colleagues to you and your ideas when engaging with new groups.


How newcomers interact with others during initial meetings and early interactions is a key differentiator between those that integrate quickly into a new organization or group, and those that do not.

The most successful newcomers engage in ways that draw others to them, rather than using push strategies (e.g., over-selling their expertise or past experience) in hopes of creating a positive reputation. They become a useful resource and someone others want to work with, which in turn pulls them toward valuable networks and opportunities.

Re-calibrate networks and collaborative practices for long-term effectiveness and well-being.


More successful people think about their role, work and network as evolving and inter-connected—and all as elements to shape and sculpt, rather than leaving to chance.

Newcomers become (or remain) high performers by continually adapting their network and adjusting collaborative practices. They are responsive to—but not defined by—the collaborative demands they face and the network of relationships they are in.

They also leverage relationships to adapt and execute as roles and circumstances change, and they rely on their network to extend their reach or capability. Just as important, they avoid one or more of four career-derailing network traps that invisibly under-mine their contemporaries.

These resources are designed to help you learn key ways to create a productive network, quickly, as you join new groups and take on new roles.

How to Initiate, Engage and Refine Networks for Success in New Roles

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