Signals (part 1 of 2): 8 Signs of Early Success

The discussion sparked by my recent posts, A Good Fit and The Risk of Waiting, got me thinking about those feint and not-so-feint signals that tell you how things are going during your first few months in a job. While I’m sure you can sense when things are going well and when they’re not, it might help to be aware of common signs of success and struggle. This is the first of two posts on the subject, 8 Signs of Early Success.

The signals that indicate things are going well fall into two camps:

1. You are in demand
2. You are having an impact

You are in demand when:

• Your opinion is welcomed
• You are included in internal meetings that go beyond your purview
• You are asked to attend important client and partner meetings
• You are invited for coffee and lunch by people outside your department

You are having an impact when:

• Your ideas are finding their way into the language people use
• Your concepts are being incorporated into the building of new things
• You are asked to present your thinking to larger groups of people
• Momentum is building around the work you are leading

Are there other signs? Sure there are. I’d be most interested in hearing about your own signals of early success. Thanks in advance.