Coming out of college and transitioning into a first job is not easy for a young professional. I remember feeling like I should know exactly what my long-term goals were even though I really had no idea.
However, finding the right work environment can make all the difference in the world. I am lucky to be in an environment at Bloom that recognizes the value of gaining different experiences. Within the last year and a half, I have worked in three different departmental areas. This variety has quickly taught me that regardless of your long-term goals, succeeding in a high-performance environment requires three key ingredients:
Be agile.
This is a software development term, but also has implications for how individuals in a fast-paced environment should work. Bloom, the company where I work, is a growing startup that is on the cutting edge of health reform. Therefore, for each of us at Bloom, it is essential that we constantly adjust to the realities of the market. We not only need to build a product from scratch, but also refine it as we go along by listening to our stakeholders – our customers, our investors, our employees, the regulators and so on. Seeing how the ability to adapt and deliver is crucial to a company’s success has been a huge learning experience for me.
Discover.
A colleague told me right out of the gate, that the best way to approach questions is to try and figure out an answer before asking. This prevents us from getting into the lazy routine of asking questions before thinking. Others around you appreciate when you follow up with an idea instead of with another question. It shows that you have thought through the issue and appreciate its complexities. I have found that learning the skill of discovery has greatly accelerated my professional growth.
Be Dedicated.
It is tough to explain the dedication that surrounds the atmosphere at Bloom. There are many factors that play a role in how dedicated I find people to be, but at the core of it is the culture of ownership. There is a feeling that we have something going on here that is actually ours – it belongs to each of us. I work around some of the most dedicated people that I have ever met – I believe that is because the culture has turned something that you must do – namely, “work” – into something that you like to do. This may be a cliché, but my stint so far at Bloom has convinced me that if you make something truly yours and enjoy what you are doing, then success will be yours.
- Kyle Dallafior
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Awesome insight Kyle!