Two weeks into the merger and I am starting to get my bearings. I’ve got my first assignment, overseeing the marketing and business development for one of the practice groups. We’ll add on some other opportunities and responsibilities as we go along. I am at a great advantage being the new marketer on the team. I can push new ideas and processes because: 1) I don’t know they tried that five years ago and it didn’t work; 2) I am not constrained by preconceived notions of what can and cannot work; 3) I can get away with asking, “Hey, can we do this?” and not look or sound ignorant; and, 4) I am not influenced in one direction or another by the culture of the firm/department/practice/partners. Today is a good day to evaluate and challenge the way things have always been done. Is this the best process? What is the procedure? Is this working? What isn’t working? Why is it done that way? What can be done better? Where can we push the envelope? When you’ve been in a position for a while it’s so easy to fall back on “we tried that” or “that won’t work.” We get complacent. And when I say “we,” I mean “I.” I am dusting off my bag of tricks and digging back in there to see what I might be able to try now. In “Leading Change,” John Kotter‘s first step in the eight step process for leading change is to create a sense of urgency, an opportunity that cannot be disregarded. I have a great opportunity today to lead change, and find a better way of doing things. And that I will not disregard. Side note: One day I’ll really get into this idea, but I have come to realize that in a merger like this while I am at a great advantage in many areas, I am at an equally great disadvantage, specifically when it comes to relationship building, and knowing what to do on day one. Why? I’m narrowing in on it having to do with not going through the interview process. In a way, I am negative two months into my job, still at the old job, but doing my job at the same time, while “interviewing” and getting to know people. But that’s a blog post for another day.