Introduction When you join a new company, someone will probably tell you, “Don’t worry. Just take some time to settle in.” It sounds like good advice. After all, starting a new job can be overwhelming. There are new people, processes, systems, expectations, and ways of working. Naturally, you need time to understand your surroundings. But there is a problem with the “settle in” mindset. If you spend your first few months simply waiting to feel comfortable, you may lose the most valuable period of your transition. Your first 90 days are not just a period for settling in. They are a period for learning, building relationships, creating credibility, and understanding how you can make an impact. Why “Just Settle In” Can Hold You Back When people are told to settle in, they often become passive. They attend meetings, complete assigned tasks, observe what others are doing, and wait for someone to tell them what they should focus on. There is nothing wrong with observing. In ...
Hiro Onoda was a Japanese intelligence officer who fought in World War II and refused to surrender until decades after WW II. In 1944, Onoda was sent to the Philippines to fight against the American army. His immediate senior ordered him to never surrender and war may take several years to end. He also assured him that they will come for him and he has to just stay back and fight. In Feb 1945 when the American army attacked the Philippines with full force then Japanese army personnel split up in a group of 2-3 officers. The rest of the Japanese personnel were either died or surrendered but Onoda's group consisting of 3 other personnel survived in Jungle. His group set up a base in mountains and started attacking local civilians thinking that civilians are agents of the American army. In late 1945, his group got a number of leaflets dropped by airplanes reading "The war ended on August 15, Come down from the mountain." In 1949, one of the members of the group surrend...