Navigating through career pivots can feel exciting and - let’s face it - a little treacherous, especially when you’re making a drastic change in organizational culture, size, or environment.
We spoke with three leaders – Laura Brounstein, Nicole Loher, and Benish Shah – who are well-seasoned in navigating transitions from start-up leadership to corporate, and vice versa; they shared their knowledge of common pitfalls along with their best advice for avoiding these stumbling blocks.
In our conversations, these experts shared their tips for the big questions like role definitions, structure, and culture, as well as making the most of opportunities you might otherwise miss, like office attire and corporate perks.
Curiosity is Key
Maneuvering successfully starts long before you actually make the leap; it begins with making the right leap and making your way through the process in a way that serves you. Nicole Loher, a communications leader in the climate and public policy spaces and an adjunct professor at New York University and Fashion Institute of Technology recommends, “Ask [yourself] why you’re making the switch and be honest about it. Really interrogate your hopes and fears about moving into the corporate world. This should help inform the questions you ask the [potential] team.”
Asking insightful questions can also help set the tone for your first few weeks, and ease the adjustment and culture shock, whether you’re making the move from start-up to corporate, or the reverse.
Benish Shah, marketing executive who has navigated tech start-up environments as well as established higher education and corporate spaces, shares “You forget there are hierarchies, and it requires an adjustment period. Then, you go to early stage startups and have to re-adjust no hierarchies and shift how decisions are made.”
“When you move from startup to corporate, the structure can feel stifling! Typically at start-ups, you're hired because 1) you're a sniper or 2) you're a generalist. You can see a problem within a general scope area and move quickly to get that done. To Benish's point, that typically goes away when you move into the corporate world and you're expected to be a specialist. When moving from corporate to startup, the reverse happens, but you can easily be distracted with uncovering resource deficits and how to solve them. If your leadership isn't focused, your role can feel a little unstable.” Nicole adds.
Shah continues, “Ask about cross-functional collaboration, be clear about what outcomes you are responsible and accountable for, and focus on understanding whether you can handle being in an environment where you are not encouraged to fill the gaps you see, or find holes in processes that aren't yours.”
In the midst of important questions about the new workplace, don’t neglect curiosity around flexibility you may have enjoyed in start-up life. “Ask about remote versus in-office flexibility, ask about the level of oversight you'll deal with, and ask about the culture! Make sure it's a fit.” Laura Brounstein, who has executed moves between corporate, non-profit, and start-ups over the course of her impressive and diverse career, encourages.
“Moving from start-up to corporate is a very personal decision, so looking out for yourself should be the priority.” Loher affirms.
Recognize the Adjustment Period: Slow Down, Listen, and Observe
“Take the time to slow down and immerse yourself. Start-up folks – hi, I’m one of them – tend to look at a problem and jump right in.” Loher emphasized. The pace difference in environments can be staggering, especially at the beginning of a new role; take the time to observe, ask more questions, and learn.
Shah agreed, “Spend your first few weeks understanding the structure.”
“I think the key is being open to learning.” Brounstein states. She expands, “Start-ups often do things a certain way out of necessity- lack of resources or bandwidth- that might work, but if you've spent most of your career in start-ups, you might not even realize there's another way. Be open to the idea that while something can be done scrappily, there are also benefits to doing it more formally or professionally. Just because you've always just shot creative on your phone and used employees as models doesn't mean a real shoot with a great photographer, models and stylist won't give a very different, potentially more appropriate product.”
Make the Most of the New
While perks and dress codes might not be on the top of your list of concerns, they do warrant consideration. “Think about your attire!” Brounstein encourages. “I'm not telling anyone how to dress, but I am saying to think about your style in relation to the rest of the people at your level and above at your new company. How is your presentation going to be perceived and how might it affect others' impression of you?” She qualifies, “But, if your answer is, ‘I'm a rockstar it doesn't matter,’ then great! Do you!”
Brounstein also highlights noticing where there might be unexpected advantages to corporate life. “There are lots of great perks to corporate jobs, from local discounts to corp rates on hotels, so make sure to ask about lifestyle benefits and take advantage of them!”
With curiosity, self reflection, and a renewed commitment to learning, the transition from start-up to corporate can be valuable.
Lauren Lyddon has helped people and organizations to tell their stories for more than a decade. Having tested her love of the creative through the pursuit of an MBA and undergraduate business degrees, she is a writer, editor, and lover of fiction in all its forms (especially theatre, well-written television, and novels). A West coast resident often operating on an East coast schedule, Lauren uses her business background and love of story to serve clients in writing, editing, PR, and more. You can visit her online at L2crtv.com.
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