1) Keep your ears open and your mouth shut. Learn what experience people have to say about the business or organization. Then, add value to it. Rarely do situations need to be turned completely upside down no matter what the level of position. The best impression is created by someone who doesn't say much, but when he/she does, people will listen.

2) Be 100 per cent right in the early days. Avoid: "I don't know if this makes sense, but let's look at it." You'll waste the effort of people who already know it won't work.

3) Keep references to your experience at a previous employer to a minimum. (And never during the first few months.) Your employees or co-workers cannot relate to your previous experiences/examples and they may become very impatient with you.

4) Learn a lot about a little and a little about a lot. No one expects you to be an expert on everything. Pick a few items, the important ones for your company and function, and focus on them. There's nothing wrong with admitting that you don't know about something and that "you'll get back to them."

5) Hold or attend meetings on other people's turf. Go to their office: don't always have them come to you.

6) Develop hypotheses early. Then use the orientation/settling in period to check them out. First impressions are generally the best. Keep careful notes. They will become your project list for the first year.

7) Have empathy! Demonstrate that you can see the issues from the perspective of others. This will help you develop a balanced (and often better) opinion. Treat new people that you meet with the same degree of courtesy and respect as you would when hosting people in your own home.

8) Stand for something. The consumer, simplicity, organizational development, action, clarity in thinking and communication, problem solving, etc.

9) Have a vision. Know where you want the business and/or department to be in 18 months or 2 years time. Use this frame of reference as you make the many individual decisions during the intervening.

10) Be a friend to co-workers whether they are superior or junior to you. This just doesn't mean you have to go out drinking with them or have them to your home for dinner. Just treat them at work as you would treat a friend. You will find that you will be rapidly accepted.