4 Simple (But Strategic) Questions to Ask Before Starting a New Role
Forget the generic "hit the ground running" advice. These are the four questions to ask yourself before day one if you want to make a lasting impression in a new role.
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Work is complex, career advice shouldn’t be. I’m Ashley Rudolph and I write this newsletter for people who are ready for the next level in their careers. Reframed readers describe the experience best:
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This week’s newsletter is short and sweet!
I’m moving next week and I’ve been swimming in logistics. My to-do list seems to regenerate every time I cross something off:
Purging (getting rid of just enough to not have regrets)
Packing (yikes!)
Scheduling movers (check!)
Hiring an organizer, to minimize the stress of unpacking and settling in (Zoe Snow’s my go to)
Donating/giving away items (do you ever care about where your things end up? Or is that just me?!)
And the list goes on….
But underneath all of the minutiae, I’ve been asking myself a different question: what do I want this new space to feel like?
That’s not a question I used to ask.
I used to obsess over where the couch should go or what color to paint the walls. Fixated on what style inspo I wanted to replicate off of my Pinterest boards, but not how I wanted to live in my new space.
Just vibes. Just visuals.
And at times, it left me with visually appealing apartments that weren’t completely functional (for hosting, for working, etc).
And it’s funny: that’s exactly how some people approach starting a new role.
They think about what needs to get done, their metrics, goals, and task lists. But not how it needs to get done or who they want to be while doing it.
That’s what separates the people who kill it in their first 90 days from the ones who just get through it. At a certain level in your career it’s strategy over execution. The difference between the two is intentionality.
Intentionality is about deciding how you want to show up before the pace, pressure, or politics decide for you.
Most of my clients right now are in some sort of career transition. They’re interviewing for new roles, starting new roles, building new teams, or planning their next steps. Maybe that’s you too? If you’re starting something new — a new job, a promotion, or taking on a bigger role, first of all CONGRATS! And here are 4 questions I’d ask myself before day one.
THE TACTICS
Four Questions to Ask Before Starting A New Job or a New Role
QUESTION 1: What’s served me well as a leader so far?
I recently started asking my new clients a more in-depth version of this question when we start working together. You may have heard the phrase “what got you here won’t get you there,” and that’s exactly what this helps you uncover. It helps you identify your strengths and how they’ve been working for you in your career to date.
I ask it because I also want them to see how they can harness those strengths to serve a new set of goals… the ones that matter in a completely new context. The better you understand what truly drives your results, the faster you can replicate it in a new environment without wasting time.
QUESTION 2: What do I want to do differently this time?
Every new chapter (even a promotion!) is a chance to evolve. If you’re moving from Director to VP or VP to C-level, you didn’t just earn a new title — you earned the right to show up differently now (spoiler alert: execs expect you to). Maybe it’s speaking up earlier, managing your energy better, or leading with a little more curiosity and empowering others to do their best work.
Clarity here prevents you from running on autopilot and approaching your new role in the same way you tackled your previous ones. It’s how you avoid missteps early and make intentional choices that strengthen your execution instead of diluting it. Less friction makes space for more wins which is ultimately your goal, right? ;)
QUESTION 3: What would progress look like in the next few months and what would indicate that I’m on the right track?
If you’re wired for achievement, the second someone puts a target in front of you, you’re going to hit it…probably faster than anyone expects. But in a new role, what really matters isn’t just what you deliver, it’s how you’re doing it.
You can get all the right results and still miss the mark if people don’t trust your approach or understand your priorities. Progress in a new role looks like traction: people looping you in, communication flowing between you and your stakeholders, ideas landing, and your work actually making someone else’s job easier. That’s when you know you’re starting to lead effectively.
QUESTION 4: Who are the 5 most important relationships I need to build immediately?
Every company has the people who make things happen and it’s not always who you think (I’ve learned this the hard way in my career!). You’ll have your obvious stakeholders: your boss, your team. But there are also the hidden power players: the ones who influence decisions in ways that will never show up on an org chart or on anyone’s “official” onboarding plan.
Your work will move faster once you figure out who those people are and build real trust with them. The sooner you understand whose opinions carry weight, the easier it becomes to get buy-in, clear roadblocks, and actually get your ideas implemented. Because no matter how strong your strategy is, execution still runs on relationships.
And your list may have more than 5 people on it (maybe less!), the point is understanding who wields influence- it’s not always about titles.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
I’ve learned that for most high achievers, great outcomes are rarely the problem. You’ll find a way to deliver. You’ll work late, you’ll spot problems early and fix what’s broken, you’ll find clarity in chaos wherever you go. It’s who you are. It’s what makes you great at what you do.
But I’ve also watched (and lived) what happens when you do it without a plan. You start to measure your value in hours and effort, not impact. You rewrite emails three times because you’re not sure how they’ll land. You say yes to things you don’t have time for, hoping it’ll prove something. That you’re worthy.
You’ll hyper fixate on the issues when you start hitting roadblocks. You’ll lose sleep.
You’ll constantly check in on how you’re being perceived, instead of how you actually feel. And still, you’ll find a way to deliver. You always do.
That’s why strategy matters. Not because you need help performing, but because you deserve to do it without the constant second-guessing, without the tightness in your chest at night and the stomach flips during the day.
If your ability to deliver has never been in question, then the next level isn’t about doing more. It’s about finding a way to get things done, sustainably.
Good luck. See you next week!
Ashley
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