What to Do When You’re New: How to Be Comfortable, Confident, and Successful in New Situations

progress bar

What to Do When You’re New: How to Be Comfortable, Confident, and Successful in New Situations

About This Book:

Have you ever felt nervous in new situations? Reluctant to introduce yourself? Afraid to ask questions? We all have. But if you let those worries stop you, you may miss out on real opportunity. Whether you’re changing jobs, joining a group, or moving to a new city, putting yourself out there enriches life and brings rewards.

What to Do When You’re New combines the author’s research with that of leading scientists to explain why we are so uneasy in new situations—and how we can learn to become more confident and successful newcomers. With practice, anyone can get better at being new. This original book opens your eyes to the necessary skills and teaches you how to:

  • Overcome fears
  • Make great first impressions
  • Talk to strangers with ease
  • Get up to speed quickly
  • Connect with people wherever you go

Blending stories and insights with simple techniques and exercises, this one-of-a-kind guide will get you out of your comfort zone and trying new things in no time.

About the Author:

Keith Rollag got interested in the challenges of “being new” when he was transferred overseas to Japan and spent five years there as a product development manager for Procter and Gamble. He returned to the United States and pursued a Ph.D. at Stanford University, where he began his research and writing about newcomers.

He has published his newcomer research in a variety of journals, including MIT/Sloan Management Review, Journal of Organizational Behavior, and the Journal Occupational and Organizational Psychology. Articles about his research and ideas on “being new” can be found in the New York Times, Fast Company, Newsday, Wired Magazine, Harvard Management Update and other outlets.

Currently he is an Associate Professor of Management and Chair of the Management Division at Babson College, a private college just outside of Boston that specializes in business and entrepreneurship. Babson has been ranked #1 in Entrepreneurship by U.S. News and World Reports for the past 20 consecutive years.

Besides teaching leadership to college students and executives, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids as well as playing music, learning Spanish, and kayaking on the Charles River. He lives in Millis, MA and likes to meet new people and try new things. Originally he was from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Information pulled from Amazon product page.