--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What was your first day like at your…" description: "\"“What was your first day like at your current (or most recent) job? Is it fair to say that it was not a defining moment? You show up. The receptionist ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/chip-heath-4065_colleagues_what-was-your-first-day-like-at-your-cur_1917867.png" --- # What was your first day like at your current (or most… ![“What was your first day like at your current (or most recent) job? Is it fair to say that it was not a defining moment? You show up. The receptionist didn't think you were starting until next week...Your boss has not arrived yet. You're given an ethics and compliance manual to review. The sexual…” quote by Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/chip-heath-4065_colleagues_what-was-your-first-day-like-at-your-cur_1917867.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/chip-heath-4065_colleagues_what-was-your-first-day-like-at-your-cur_1917867.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/chip-heath-4065_colleagues_what-was-your-first-day-like-at-your-cur_1917867.png) > ““What was your first day like at your current (or most recent) job? Is it fair to say that it was not a defining moment? You show up. The receptionist didn't think you were starting until next week...Your boss has not arrived yet. You're given an ethics and compliance manual to review. The sexual harassment policy is so long and comprehensive it makes you wonder a bit about your colleagues. Eventually, a friendly person from your floor introduces herself and whisks you around the office, interrupting 11 different people...You immediately forget all their names. Except Lester, who might just be the reason for the sexual harassment policy? Does that sound about right?”” [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. First days often involve unclear expectations and overwhelming information, making true engagement difficult. **In simple terms:** New jobs can feel chaotic and unclear. Key Takeaway Seek clarity and build relationships early. Themes workplace onboarding communication culture Mood curious reflective Type practical motivational When to use this quote - starting a new job - team meetings - policy training - networking Key Concepts first impressions information overload social integration Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to understand culture? - How do you prioritize information? A Different Perspective May cause anxiety and misinterpretation of norms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Colleagues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colleagues/) [Defining moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defining-moment/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [First Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-day/) [Friendly person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendly-person/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [What troubles me about the "hostile workplace" category of sexual harassment policy is that women are being returned to their old status of delicate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/what-troubles-me-about-the-hostile-workplace-category-of-sexual/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I had real potential. But my goal was to be...adequate. I didn't want to be an extraordinary receptionist, because I didn't ever want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-fischer/i-had-real-potential-but-my-goal-was-to-be-adequate-i-didn-t-want-to/) [Jenna Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-fischer/) > [“At around nine o’clock, the boss arrived in the war room on the fourteenth floor and stood in front of a wall mounted with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-r-lewandowski/at-around-nine-o-clock-the-boss-arrived-in-the-war-room-on-the/) [Corey R. Lewandowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-r-lewandowski/) > [Be friendly first. Service starts with a friendly person with a friendly smile, who offers friendly words first. How friendly are you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gitomer/be-friendly-first-service-starts-with-a-friendly-person-with-a/) [Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) > [“While some may consider being friendly an appealing personality trait, I challenge you to see it as a valuable skill. In a world where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/while-some-may-consider-being-friendly-an-appealing-personality-trait/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [I'm generally a pretty friendly person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-jones/i-m-generally-a-pretty-friendly-person/) [Rashida Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-jones/) > [Friends are very important to me, and I have always had many of them. There are probably many reasons why this is so, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-solti/friends-are-very-important-to-me-and-i-have-always-had-many-of-them/) [Georg Solti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-solti/) > [All he needs to do is look at me and the butterflies come. I drives me crazy…when he talks to me, his voice is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany/all-he-needs-to-do-is-look-at-me-and-the-butterflies-come-i-drives-me/) [Brittany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany/) > [The desert was held in a crazed communism by which Nature and the elements were for the free use of every known friendly person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-e-lawrence/the-desert-was-held-in-a-crazed-communism-by-which-nature-and-the/) [T. E. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-e-lawrence/) > [“I swear I've good morals. It's just that bad ones befriend me. I'm a friendly person, you know. But I will talk to them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fakeer-ishavardas/i-swear-i-ve-good-morals-it-s-just-that-bad-ones-befriend-me-i-m-a/) [Fakeer Ishavardas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fakeer-ishavardas/) > [Off-screen, I am the most outgoing and friendly person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-patel/off-screen-i-am-the-most-outgoing-and-friendly-person/) [Karan Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-patel/) > [People call me and ask me for advice all the time. On an elevator they tell me their problems. I think it's in part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-dewitt/people-call-me-and-ask-me-for-advice-all-the-time-on-an-elevator-they/) [Joyce DeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-dewitt/) > [I'm just a friendly person; that runs in my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-m-just-a-friendly-person-that-runs-in-my-family/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [I am always on Instagram, Snapchat, and all other social media platforms... So, I am a very tech-friendly person, and I've grown up playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kartik-aaryan/i-am-always-on-instagram-snapchat-and-all-other-social-media/) [Kartik Aaryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kartik-aaryan/) > [I think Diana was a very friendly person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-corrin/i-think-diana-was-a-very-friendly-person/) [Emma Corrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-corrin/) ## More by Chip Heath > [“It seems some CEOs who pay extremely large acquisition premiums … come to believe their own press.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/it-seems-some-ceos-who-pay-extremely-large-acquisition-premiums-come/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“Regrets of the Dying.” She shared the five most common regrets of the people she had come to know: 1. I wish I’d had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/regrets-of-the-dying-she-shared-the-five-most-common-regrets-of-the/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“We are fighting a war on load times.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/we-are-fighting-a-war-on-load-times/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“Peter Bregman, a productivity guru and blogger for the Harvard Business Review, recommends a simple trick for dodging this fate. He advises us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/peter-bregman-a-productivity-guru-and-blogger-for-the-harvard/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“Compromise is like the old joke, “A camel is a horse made by a committee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/compromise-is-like-the-old-joke-a-camel-is-a-horse-made-by-a-committee/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [When people know the desired destination, they’re free to improvise, as needed, in arriving there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/when-people-know-the-desired-destination-they-re-free-to-improvise-as/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“Research tells us that brainstorming becomes more productive when it’s focused. As jazz great Charles Mingus famously said, “You can’t improvise on nothing, man;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/research-tells-us-that-brainstorming-becomes-more-productive-when-it/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [What’s working, and how can we do more of it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/what-s-working-and-how-can-we-do-more-of-it/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“To make good decisions, CEOs need the courage to seek out disagreement. Alfred Sloan, the longtime CEO and chairman of General Motors, once interrupted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/to-make-good-decisions-ceos-need-the-courage-to-seek-out-disagreement/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“One rule of thumb is to keep searching for options until you fall in love at least twice. If you’ve only identified one good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/one-rule-of-thumb-is-to-keep-searching-for-options-until-you-fall-in/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“Seeking a compelling example of the company’s poor purchasing habits, Stegner assigned a summer student intern to investigate a single item—work gloves, which workers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/seeking-a-compelling-example-of-the-company-s-poor-purchasing-habits/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“Unexpected ideas are more likely to stick because surprise makes us pay attention and think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/unexpected-ideas-are-more-likely-to-stick-because-surprise-makes-us/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“As recounted in his book It’s Your Ship, one of Captain Abrashoff’s first moves was to interview every one of the 310 crew members…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/as-recounted-in-his-book-it-s-your-ship-one-of-captain-abrashoff-s/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“Journalists obsess about their leads. Don Wycliff, a winner of prizes for editorial writing, says, “I’ve always been a believer that if I’ve got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/journalists-obsess-about-their-leads-don-wycliff-a-winner-of-prizes/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“What you don’t need to do is anticipate every turn in the road between today and the destination. It’s not that plotting the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/what-you-don-t-need-to-do-is-anticipate-every-turn-in-the-road/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) [Explore all 114 Chip Heath quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) ## More Colleagues quotes > [I've never been motivated by money. My peers and colleagues inspire me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-chase/i-ve-never-been-motivated-by-money-my-peers-and-colleagues-inspire-me/) [Robin Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-chase/) > [It's wonderful to see more of my colleagues recognizing the importance of investing in STEM education and scientific research and development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-foster/it-s-wonderful-to-see-more-of-my-colleagues-recognizing-the/) [Bill Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-foster/) > [I am sorry to upset my colleagues by saying we wasted four years in opposition, but if you do get so badly defeated as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/i-am-sorry-to-upset-my-colleagues-by-saying-we-wasted-four-years-in/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [Don’t let yourself be. Find something new to try, something to change. Count how often it succeeds and how often it doesn’t. Write about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/don-t-let-yourself-be-find-something-new-to-try-something-to-change/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [“The whole organization seemed to be in free fall, indulging in a collective fantasy in which experienced colleagues refused to admit that their every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-whole-organization-seemed-to-be-in-free-fall-indulging-in-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is a danger of Scottish politics being between two sets of dinosaurs... the Nationalists who can't accept they were rejected by the people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/there-is-a-danger-of-scottish-politics-being-between-two-sets-of/) [Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/) > [We must continue our fight to ensure that Federal, State, and local authorities have the resources and support necessary to combat this growing epidemic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-lewis/we-must-continue-our-fight-to-ensure-that-federal-state-and-local/) [Ron Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-lewis/) > [The questions of traditional and redefined marriage are highly emotional and a difficult and sensitive topic. Living in the D.C. area and having gay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/the-questions-of-traditional-and-redefined-marriage-are-highly/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [Very often, we are confronted by people who want us to pray their way or colleagues who want us to think their way. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-klemp/very-often-we-are-confronted-by-people-who-want-us-to-pray-their-way/) [Harold Klemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-klemp/) > [For all the civilians saved thanks to the presence of peacekeepers, there have been those who were lost - the United Nations personnel who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-eliasson/for-all-the-civilians-saved-thanks-to-the-presence-of-peacekeepers/) [Jan Eliasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-eliasson/) > [I have always been very calm and with all the triumphs I have had I have always been sure to thank my colleagues and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulinho/i-have-always-been-very-calm-and-with-all-the-triumphs-i-have-had-i/) [Paulinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulinho/) > [As a former undercover CIA officer, I've worked with my colleagues in the 114th Congress to approach the growing terrorist threat from a number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hurd/as-a-former-undercover-cia-officer-i-ve-worked-with-my-colleagues-in/) [Will Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hurd/) > [ In the end, many of his more militant colleagues began to feel that \[Ho Chi Minh's\] tendency to compromise, and his reluctance to confront… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/in-the-end-many-of-his-more-militant-colleagues-began-to-feel-that-ho/) [William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/) [Browse all 1,024 Colleagues quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colleagues/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What was your first day like at your current (or most recent) job? Is it fair to say that it was not a defining moment? You show up. The receptionist didn't think you were starting until next week...Your boss has not arrived yet. You're given an ethics and compliance manual to review. The sexual harassment policy is so long and comprehensive it makes you wonder a bit about your colleagues. Eventually, a friendly person from your floor introduces herself and whisks you around the office, interrupting 11 different people...You immediately forget all their names. Except Lester, who might just be the reason for the sexual harassment policy? 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