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Calibrate Before You Accelerate: Bias Toward Action in a New Role
My recent move from Monzo to Engine by Starling brought a familiar feeling rushing back: the intense, almost overwhelming urge to prove my worth immediately. When starting a new job, it’s completely natural to want to justify the company’s decision to hire you by making an instant impact. We want to show up, roll up our sleeves, and start fixing things.
But a bias toward action is a superpower only when applied correctly - action without context is just noise. If you swing a sledgehammer before looking at the blueprints, you might knock down a load-bearing wall. Here’s how to frame your bias toward action not as rushing, but as moving decisively only after you’ve built a foundation of context.
Listening is an action if done deliberately. During your first few weeks, focus on being active in your passivity.
This is the bridge between collecting information and taking action. It requires dedicated, analytical thought.
Now it’s time to unleash your bias toward action safely and effectively.
None of this is about moving slowly - it’s about making sure that when you do move, you’re pushing on something that actually needs pushing.
So, the next time you find yourself in a new environment, fighting the urge to fix everything on day one: take a breath. Put down the sledgehammer. Pick up the blueprints. The real work will still be there when you’re actually ready to build.