the smug sector-switcher

I have been this person and I am telling you to be wary of this person - and prepare them. The sector-switcher comes into your line of work from another line of work. It’s possible that you hired them *because* they have roots in this other sector. You like the perspective, versatility, and grit you see in them and the sector switch itself is evidence of those qualities, in your view. They didn’t get to this rung on the ladder climbing straight up like everyone else - they leapt to this ladder from a whole other one!

Clear expectations in the very early going are critical for these sector-switchers, especially if they are relatively senior. One variety of these folks can over-interpret your appreciation of their switch. Absent clear standards from you, they can make a reasonable but unhelpful assumption that their core contribution, maybe their only necessary contribution, is the perspective they bring from the other sector. The corporate finance person assumes she needs to dispense advice about efficiency and compliance but not embed herself in the culture and community work of the non-profit. The social worker-become-teacher assumes he can say wise things about unmet emotional needs among students … and slide on lesson plans or behavior interventions.

A really valuable person with lots to contribute can end up as an annoying faux consultant that other teammates resent.

Your expectation setting could sound like this:

“I’m excited about the perspective you bring from [other sector]. We need that perspective and I want to hear you voicing it. I also expect you to be/become excellent at [thing/things that are core part of this job that didn’t show up in your other sector]. We need both from you. When you take this job, you’re signing up for both and telling me you’re excited to do both, even - especially - when it requires you to struggle and grow.”

-eric