Crack the unwritten rules early

Personal & Social Development · Friendship & Cooperation · ages 16-18

Name ______________________ Date ____________

How do you find each unwritten rule?
- Guess alone for a month
- Watch trusted people, then ask your buddy or manager
- Ignore everyone and improvise
Which three unwritten rules are worth mapping in week one?
- Who decides, how mistakes are handled, and what counts as urgent
- The founding year, the logo, and the carpet colour
- Lunch menus, bus routes, and weather
Asking for help in a new place shows weakness.
Circle one: True False
What is the right way to ask for help?
- Five vague questions with no background
- No questions until review day
- One clear question with what you tried and where you are stuck
Why do early questions beat late ones?
- Early questions look keen, while late ones follow a mistake
- Late questions sound smarter
- Questions waste everyone's time
Your supervisor corrects your report. What is the best response?
- Argue until they drop it
- Thank them, repeat the change, and show it next time
- Apologise in circles for a week
Rae is stuck, has tried two fixes, and her mentor is free after lunch. What should she do?
- Stay silent for a month
- Bring one clear question after lunch with both attempts shown
- Interrupt the busiest expert right now
Two newcomers push big changes on day one and get ignored. What should they have done?
- Never suggest anything ever
- Complain louder in week two
- Fit the norms first, earn trust, then suggest changes

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Watch trusted people, then ask your buddy or manager · Detective work first, then one direct question. Watching shows the norm and asking confirms it.
Who decides, how mistakes are handled, and what counts as urgent · Power, mistakes, and urgency run every workplace. Menus and logos never decide your first month.
False · False. Asking well is a skill. Trying first, then asking with details, is exactly what trusted people do.
One clear question with what you tried and where you are stuck · Details let people point instead of guess. One sharp question respects their time and shows your effort.
Early questions look keen, while late ones follow a mistake · Timing changes the meaning. Before the work, a question is care. After the error, it reads as carelessness.
Thank them, repeat the change, and show it next time · Thanks plus visible change turns a correction into coaching. Arguing or circling wastes the gift.
Bring one clear question after lunch with both attempts shown · She tried first, picked the right person and moment, and can show her work. That is asking at its best.
Fit the norms first, earn trust, then suggest changes · Influence follows belonging. Day one preaching skips the trust that makes ideas heard.