I read your tips on finding employment in the nonprofit world, and they worked! I’ve just joined what appears to be a great organization in a perfect job for me. In fact, I’m getting nervous that things are too good, and I’ll get fired any second. I know this is an irrational fear, but I’m still afraid of messing up before I’ve had a chance to show what I can do. Any suggestions for staying hired?

Great, you’ve succeeded in getting your new job – now what? Here are a few key points to keep in mind during those trying and sometimes frustrating first months:

Plan your arrival

If possible, before you even start your new job, give some thought to how you want things to go. Determine your role, and your vision of what you want to accomplish. Forget all the rules and little idiosyncrasies you’ve learned at any of your other organizations.

Learn the new culture

The most common cause of failure in the first 90 days is not fitting in with the corporate culture of your new organization. You should make it your objective to meet with key players both within your department and other key areas of the organization; this means your peers, boss(es), subordinates, and any other individuals who can contribute to your overall knowledge base. Your goal is to study the cultural norms of the group and adapt your personal style in order to fit in as much as possible, while learning what “makes things tick”. Don’t assume that you have all the answers, or the magic bullet that will fix all the problems the organization faces. More often than not, your ideas have been tried in the past.

Become a “real” person to the rest of the group

Find out more about the personal lives of your co-workers. This doesn’t mean you need to vacation with them or know all their kids’ names, but get a little interested in what’s going on in their lives outside of the office.

Listen, listen, listen

One of the most important things you can do is listen to the people with whom you are meeting. You want to find out as much as you can initially of what existing alliances and relationships exist, motivations of individuals, work styles, personality traits, anything that will assist you in your success.

Know your boss’ expectations

Set up regular meetings to talk to your boss and ask him/her how you’re doing on a semi-regular basis. You don’t want to appear as though you need constant approval or feedback, but you need to determine their expectations of your performance. Never assume that you are doing what you think your boss wants you to do. Chances are, unless you communicate, you are not doing it.

Understand your responsibilities

Your current job description, even if you are just hired, can be months or even years old. In addition, acknowledge that CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE. Some job descriptions are written after serious events in the life of organizations. For example, a wholesale internal audit or scandal creates a sudden focus on control systems. You are brought in to set up control systems. If the corporate culture is essentially a much more informal one, you may be the lone “control freak” that is seen suspiciously by everyone else. Knowing what challenges you face, from talking to your boss and others, can go a long way to understand your ultimate purpose as it relates to your role within the organization.

Know what you need to accomplish

Ensure that you receive a very clear understanding of exactly what you need to do in order to be successful. Writing this down and giving it to your boss is a good idea. Regular performance meetings with your boss are also a good idea to provide clarity on your purpose and ensure that you are on track at all times.

Try to relax

Very few organizations are willing to quickly reverse a hiring decision by firing someone too quickly. It makes them look like they made a poor choice in the first place. Certainly listen to any warning signs, but don’t walk around expecting the “chop” all the time and become afraid to take calculated risks. The NFP world is more and more about producing results, no matter how long you’ve been working at any one particular job or organization.

Michael Mayne, M.B.A., CMA, is Managing Partner and a Certified Professional Career Counsellor at Catalyst Careers, a Career Transition, Counselling, and Outplacement firm. Michael has been involved in the not-for-profit sector for many years, and is currently President of ALS Canada. To contact Michael, visit: www.catalystcareers.com.

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Disclaimer: Advice and recommendations are based on limited information provided and should be used as a guideline only. Neither the author nor CharityVillage.com make any warranty, express or implied, or assume any legal liability for accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided in whole or in part within this article.