Small Fish, Big Pond: How to Succeed in Large Organisations

If you’re thinking of joining a large organisation, or have just started a role, you probably feel like a small fish in a very big pond – an ocean, even. 

You might be having lots of thoughts: How will you stand out and be heard? Will everything be slow and old-fashioned? What if you can’t remember anyone’s name?

Yes, it’s true that large companies aren’t as nimble as small businesses, and with thousands of employees, let’s face it – you will never know everybody’s name and coffee order. 

But you'll have lots of opportunities for advancement, great perks, and tons of people available to you, which means less figuring stuff out on your own.  

In fact, you can not only survive, but thrive in a large organisation. It simply takes the right attitude and a few well-timed tactics. 

Here are some of the things you can do:

Know the big picture

Context is everything. What are the challenges facing your organisation? What are the macro influences? If you understand how the organisation is shaped by its broader environment, you’ll be able to see how your role fits into the bigger picture. You’ll understand why certain decisions are made and what’s keeping your bosses up at night (or making them jump out of bed in the morning!). 

It will shine the spotlight on career opportunities too. By understanding the challenges and opportunities facing your organisation, you can identify and develop the skills and attitudes needed to add more value.

Learn the lingo

Organisations are experiencing disruption at an unprecedented pace. Many enterprises now want and need to be agile enough to meet changing customer, technology, and market dynamics. 

So what do they do? 

They look to tech startups, like Spotify, and embrace the same methodologies. Agile, Human Centred Design, Zero based design, ethnographic research – these operating models are designed to help companies move faster and make customer-centric decisions. 

You don’t need to know the ins and outs of every model, but if you want to thrive, you should focus on understanding the role these methodologies play in your organisation: Does your organisation have squads and tribes? Are you working in multidisciplinary teams? How are decisions really made?

Become a change leader

We don’t always know what’s going to happen in a large organisation, or a small one for that matter! Change is inevitable. Markets shift, new tech shakes things up, consumer needs evolve, and the world is always throwing new challenges in our way (Covid, anyone?). 

It’s how you react to this disruption that reflects your character and can increase your value to the organisation. 

That’s why workplaces are putting a huge emphasis on adaptability when hiring. Being adaptable means you can learn and unlearn, stay open and flexible in your approach, and accept that you may succeed or fail on your journey. It means you’re comfortable with the unknown and can move forward with confidence. 

There’s also another approach – a bolder approach. 

Rather than just surviving change, what if you could lead it?

You might feel like you’re only one small voice in a large organisation, but political scientist Erica Chenoweth explains how 3.5% of any given group has the capacity to change the hearts and minds of everyone else in the group. 

If you see that things can be done better and you have a clear vision, don’t focus on the outcome of change. Start by appealing to people’s hearts and minds to make your vision most compelling. 

For this, you’ll need leadership skills. That doesn’t mean a slick corporate title or position – it’s about leading through influence. Learn how to influence people and communicate with impact and you’ll be amazed how far you go in a big organisation.

Build relationships before you need them

Start getting to know people. Large companies are all about people working with and depending on each other. From day one, you need to figure out all the people across the organisation who you might have to enlist to get your ideas across the line, to solve the unsolvable challenges, or to help you skill up in a new area.

Spoiler alert: it’ll probably be a long list.

Don’t wait until you need the help of these people before you introduce yourself. By then, it could be too late.

Over to you

Working in a large organisation might seem intimidating at first, but with the right mindset and skills, you can build networks, inspire change and propel your career. 

Now go forth and learn the skills to thrive in a big organisation with Hodie app today!

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