Another essential feature of management in a nonacademic setting is effective communication. Of course academics pride themselves on communication, but long documents and subtle, complex arguments are the coinage of that exchange, rather than the frequent and short e-mails, voice mails, and memorandums of an office workplace. Furthermore, a Ph.D. who may have spent years navigating a delicate relationship with an adviser may try to avoid frequent meetings with a supervisor for fear of coming across as ill-prepared. These are unhealthy assumptions to bring with you to a nonacademic workplace, since managers usually value being kept informed of the progress of new employees. It is a good idea to initiate an open discussion as soon as possible with your new boss to learn what kind of communication style will work best in your relationship.
Former academics experience some challenges in learning to write for a nonacademic audience.
An academic background will always be a blessing and a curse outside the ivory tower, and the arena of informal conversation with colleagues is one of the areas in which it could be more of a curse. Many people in your new office will love talking about the movies they saw last weekend, but relatively few will desire a long treatise on the subject. Your ability to focus and dive quickly and deeply into complex problems is one of the key factors that won you a great new job. However, in order to develop easy working relationships with colleagues and clients, you may need to take cues from them on when and how to let up on that intensity. Because so many workplaces are organized around teams and teamwork, collaboration is a constant concern.