What is the best advice you could give someone during their first month at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX)?

1. Ask your boss and/or colleagues to give you a list of people with whom to have introductory meetings. Spread those meetings out over three to four months, so you'll have a chance to ask questions that only occur to you with time. 2. Understand the organization's Strategic Initiatives, and ask your boss to articulate how your work, and his/hers, relate to those initiatives. Also ask which of them are highest priority for your function. 3. Make contacts and friends in other parts of the organization, and keep in touch with them. The ability to see how changes in the environment affect other people will enable you to do your job better. 4. Document your accomplishments, your skills gained, and the constructive alliances you've built as you go, and share this information with your boss. JAX is a highly matrixed organization, and you'll need to construct your own web of resources to succeed and help others succeed.