Many companies likely have a complete set of SOP during training periods, with weekly and monthly targets defined, deadlines for submitting reports and assignments to assess whether you're suited for the job. As a "new employee," you can probably easily gauge the gap between yourself and others. The "real estate brokerage industry" that I know of has such training.
However, in the media and news industries I've worked in, even supervisors don't know where the next news story will come from, so how can we even talk about SOP?
Therefore, the news industry usually lets you "learn on your own." The most common phrases you hear are probably "follow along and learn today," "get familiar with the system operations with colleagues," "ask me if you have questions," "ask more questions," or "I'll tell you when problems come up." These phrases sound simple enough, but in reality, when you're still completely unfamiliar with your new job and environment, you often don't know where to "look" or how to start learning, or what the differences are between you and others.
As the saying goes, deciding on direction is more important than effort; otherwise, you might end up in an awkward situation where you think you've learned enough, only to discover there's always more to learn.
Typically, new employees fall into the following categories:
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The Obedient Type — sitting blankly at the computer, glancing left and right, following whatever others do.
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The Anxious Type — frantically browsing announcements in the system.
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The Proactive Type — printing out materials and finding time to ask questions.
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The Arrogant Type — believing they've learned quickly, writing a few news stories and then rushing off.
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The Indifferent Type — asking nothing, not learning even when taught, making the same mistakes repeatedly.
The first three types of new employees can still be "molded" by supervisors and trained into talent that "aligns with company values." If someone is the latter two types, that might give people headaches.
The first type, the Obedient Type, are usually "do as told" people. These individuals might have just entered society or are in their first job, so they're not particularly proactive. It's not that they're lazy or unwilling to learn; rather, they hope someone will tell them what to do, and after doing it a few more times, they can learn from the experience. They just don't easily make decisions on their own. When the same problem is presented in a different form, they might panic.
The second type, the Anxious Type, might be the kind of person who "prepares for a rainy day." Before things are completed, they tend to worry, feeling like they won't do well. Their first instinct is often to think negatively. They don't dare ask questions because they fear making mistakes, saying something wrong, or asking a stupid question. However, in terms of "behavior," they're relatively proactive. They might actively check existing announcements in the system, thoroughly understand all matters big and small in the team to avoid being stumped when questioned. They'll also actively learn from seniors, but when problems arise, they might only quietly search for answers without daring to ask. (I myself tend to lean toward this type.)
The third type, the Proactive Type, usually has great confidence. This confidence isn't arrogance but rather a composed and even humble demeanor. When they first integrate into the environment, they've likely already mentally prepared for different problems and solutions. When real problems arise, they don't hesitate to ask seniors for help. They usually easily make people want to pass along extra tips and tricks.
The fourth type, the Arrogant Type, is actually the worst type in the workplace. They tend to "think they're very capable," with an inexplicable confidence. Some of these people might have been "leaders" at school — like student council president or club president — and received considerable respect on campus. Once they enter society, they "don't realize the difference between workplace and school."
At work, they don't like asking others for help or aren't aware of their own problem areas. They like to "imagine" how things should be completed. Even when they make mistakes, they'll likely use the same approach next time. What's most unbearable is that when seniors point out their problems, they remain unchanged, unwilling to improve, and even think the senior is wrong. Even if this isn't expressed verbally, you can easily sense it from their every move and action. Whether they'll change depends on how long this company can tolerate them, waiting for them to figure it out, or eventually giving up.
The fifth type, the Indifferent Type, might sound a bit harsh to describe this way, but these people are probably "extremely self-centered." They think as long as they complete their own responsibilities, that's enough. And what they call "completion" might be something that others do with great care and caution, handing you the simplest task, yet it's still full of errors.
But people of this type might not understand which step went wrong or why there was an error, so they won't change and can't change. Even with the "do as told" approach, next time when no one is standing in front of them to "imitate" and "learn" from, they'll commit the same mistake again. Honestly, maybe it's that no one is willing to tell them the truth: "The company doesn't actually need you."
Looking at these five types of new employees overall, it's really an "attitude" issue. Returning to the main point: "Sometimes asking seniors for guidance is not because you don't understand, but to demonstrate your attitude." It sounds quite calculated, but it's actually "the key to letting seniors decide whether to teach you."
For example, I recently heard about a fresh graduate being called in by their manager and scolded: "I've never seen anyone like you who never asks questions of senior colleagues." But they felt wronged because they asked questions from "other people" quite frequently and their attitude wasn't bad either. It's just that they're the Obedient Type, needing to wait for someone to point out the problem first before they'll follow up with questions.
So what's the problem?
Because the manager isn't sitting at their desk all the time, so they never "see" them asking questions. Instead, every time they notice them, they're just sitting at their desk waiting, which made them lose their temper.
Therefore, asking questions shouldn't wait until there's an actual problem. Ask others for guidance at appropriate times — even if they're "simple" or "stupid" questions. Let seniors feel that you have the "heart" to learn. Then when they notice something new next time, they won't hesitate to offer guidance, helping you get through this rookie period more effectively.
