Starting a new role is a bit like getting married. The honeymoon phase is full of smiles and polite curiosity, but everyone’s quietly wondering - will this actually work, or are we just figuring it out as we go?
It rarely comes down to the big promises. More often, it’s the small, everyday things - the way you really listen when someone explains how things work here, how you adapt when reality doesn’t match your expectations, how you keep showing up even when the initial excitement fades.
It’s less about the vows on day one, and more about the rhythm you slowly build together - the quiet understanding that emerges from a hundred small exchanges, the trust that grows from being present in the unglamorous moments.
Perhaps that’s what makes any beginning last: not the grand gestures, but the patient work of learning each other’s language.