TRANSFERRED? BE PREPARED FOR CHANGES IN WORK ENVIRONMENT ALSO

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Working environment changes with change of work place. The change may be by way of transfer within the company from one vertical to the other or branch to corporate office or Regional/circle office. Change in work environment also happens when one leaves the job to choose another. Coupled with the change of work environment are also changes in city, language, culture or even country. Such changes may also force one to live away from family.
While adjustments in the form of arranging accommodation, children's education etc vary on personal preferences and family compulsions, people forget that in the official front also lot of adjustments need to be done which most people lose sight of. A transfer by the management is not in the hands of the individual and hence accepted with fingers crossed. But when one chooses to opt for change, one is tired of the present for certain specific aspects forgetting in the process what one enjoyed subconsciously that may not be available elsewhere as a matter of right. Hence if one is not mentally prepared with an open mind there can be surprises galore. Here are some of the common surprises but there could be many. Just learn to adopt to be happy. 
  • When you go on transfer from one place to another, while you go with the expectations based on past experience, you receive a treatment based on their past experience. (Ah gaya naya HR hero banne)
  •  Work environments are formal and frame bound in some places and informal and friendly in many others. Avoid being seen as misfit and overcome the initial discomfort quickly.
  •  When you go on transfer from one city to another within the company reputations travel, but not to everyone at the new place and all do not recollect it as they see you.
  •  When you go on a change of job, no one holds a banner, on your laurels and achievements at the previous place. You have to start afresh at every new place. This is particularly true if you are habituated to greetings of respect and also respectful treatment in places like canteen, lift, and parking or in general by the lower level support staff.
  •    If you are a middle level officer the importance you get at a branch or a unit is very high compared to the insignificance that you may face in bigger offices especially in a Corporate Office. 
  •   Recognition and appreciation flow more naturally at places where peer competition is less. Better to be at places where you are the only SAP specialist or a Chartered Accountant than at places where you are one among many.
  •  When competition and rivalry are existent reputation will have to be earned for which one has to be assertively amicable. For instance in the above case the only SAP man gets instant recognition and in the group your achievement may go to the other, capable of snatching it.
  •  It is patience and perseverance that pays when chips are down and the environment not friendly.
  •  It is easy to build reputation as an outsider as your quick adjustment to the new place itself would draw appreciation. Be it a new country or state learning their language quickly adds to your worth.
  •  An odd man gets easily noticed (a Sardarji in a Tamil Nadu village) and capitalizing on such recognition should be one's strength.
So there will be many more such opportunities only that you have to grab it based on your strengths and excel wherever you are posted or wherever you choose to get posted.
Hence when a transfer order is received try to learn on the work environment at the new place and the type of mental adjustments required.  Preparing oneself to adjust and to build afresh a reputation will go a long way in successful handling of transfers in one's career.


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