On this edition of Citi FM and Citi TV’s Effective Living Series, the Chief Executive Officer of ADS Sterling Consulting Limited, Rev. Kwaku Ofori Dadzie, admonished Ghanaians to prepare themselves well when transitioning to new jobs to avoid being kicked out by their employers or lose out on business deals.

According to him, majority of employers, after months of hiring their employees regret doing so.

This, he explained, accounts for the unpreparedness of some employees who just jump into new workplaces, advising Ghanaians to develop themselves in the areas they are good at, network and learn new things the fast way.

Speaking with host Bernard Avle on the topic, ‘Making Successful Career Transitions’, Mr. Dadzie, highlighted a few tips to look at when transitioning to a new career. It could either be from one business unit to the other or one profession to the other.

Learning new things quickly: New employees need to learn the things that exist at the new workplaces very fast. Learn the processes and systems you need to master, learn about the culture of the organisation to know the language the workers speak, the attitudes etc. Enquire about the influencers or decision-makers in the company. Learn from everybody even if you don’t like them or not.

Understanding the situation the business is in: Understand the state of the company and abreast yourself of the successes and failures of the company. Find out if the company is a struggling company or a company that is already successful. Re-energise yourself so that you help to either maintain the success of the company or help to rebuild it.

Getting aligned with the company’s priorities: You are not hired to change the modus operandi of the company. Don’t come with your new rules, you need to align with the company’s rules, whether the rules favour you or not. Learn to know the priorities of the company, and learn to know how your boss communicates, how he wants work to be done, and his expectations of you.

Clear pathway for communication: Establish a channel in which workers could freely admit their errors, react quickly when an error pops up. Come up with suggestions on how problems could be solved. Don’t be noted as a giver of bad news, try to find solutions to that bad news.

Networking: Look for the people in your corner who can contribute to the success of your work. Search for clients, team members, and superiors who will show you opportunities that you can tap into.  Find those who can alert you to the signs of danger. You still have to go to them even if you don’t like them.