What it is
Six cards for anyone about to take a new position, or newly in one. Not only a change of employer โ a transfer, a promotion, joining a new team, taking a new role in a school or a group.
Start with the character of the role
Position 1 asks what this position actually is. People evaluate a new role by its terms โ money, hours, title โ but what determines whether you can stay is its character: constant contact with people, solitary depth, or unending decisions.
Positions 2 (fit) and 3 (gap) measure you against that character.
A gap is not a disqualification
A heavy card in position 3 does not mean โdonโt goโ. You always enter a new role incomplete. A role youโre fully equipped for is a role with nothing to learn.
What this position gives you is what to fill in first. Knowing what you must pick up in the first three months is a materially different start from not knowing.
People outweigh terms
Position 4 is separate for a reason: what makes people unable to stay in a new role is rarely the work โ itโs the people. Good terms donโt survive a bad fit.
A heavy card here is a signal to find out more about the culture before you commit.
Three months out
Position 6 shows the role once youโve settled. The first month is always the worst, so judging by that period alone leads people to the wrong conclusion. Seeing this gives you a basis for deciding whether the early stretch is worth sitting through.
If the move itself isnโt decided, draw career crossroad or gains and costs first.