No
matter if you are a new employee or joining an existing team from a different
department or from a different organisation. Over time, every team develops its
own culture, with spoken or unspoken agreements regarding how things are done
and the hierarchy of the group. When you join a team, it is very important to
integrate into the group as smoothly as possible. This will help you integrate
into the team and most likely lead to a productive professional experience. In
contrast, if you have a hard time integrating, you may end up isolated, in
conflict with other team members, and may even underperform. So we have come up
with the following 8 tips to help you effectively blend into an existing team.
1.
Be yourself
When
joining a new group, it is human nature to feel a little insecure, and that can
force us to try to present ourselves the way we think people want us to. However,
this is not the best strategy to build strong working relationships. In order
to maintain this fake personality, you will need to keep pretending. As a
result, the team members may avoid you because they will think you are not
trustworthy or feel you are not honest. It is best to be yourself and remember
that you are complete just the way you are.
2.
Find out who the key players
are
Even
if a team has a hierarchical structure, there are usually one or two members
who lead, coordinate, or keep the group together. Observe interactions and team
dynamics, and you'll see who has the most influence -- and by extension, who to
turn to for support. Remember that they will also observe how you do your
"thing" to determine whether you are interested in it.
3.
Get to know your team members both personally and professionally
The
importance of close personal connections in the workplace cannot be overstated.
Showing interest in others beyond work is always a good thing. Even if you are
not best friends with your colleagues, you should try to learn about them and
what motivates them. The more comfortable people are with you, the more likely
they are to seek your help when they need it. Attend team meetings during
breaks and join other team members for drinks or dinner after work.
4.
Observe processes and
incorporate them into your .
The
first rule of criticism is to never criticize a process. If someone from the
team created it, you might antagonize them. Understand why things are done the
way they are and adjust your habits to fit the established methods.
5.
Be confident yet reserved.
You shouldn't assume you know everything.
It is better to ask questions than to answer them. Prior
to seeking understanding, you should seek to understand. Don't
try to show off your strengths too much: your new teammates will probably
already know you have talents and skills (Even if they don't, be reserved and
let the group dynamics drive developments) and rubbing in people's faces will
not serve you right.
6.
Deliver on your promises.
Make sure you can deliver on what you
promise. To make a good
impression, don't promise things that you can't deliver. You
shouldn't promise to complete a proposal that normally takes a whole day to
prepare in one hour. Give yourself
plenty of time to complete the task. It
is more important to focus on the quality of your work than the speed at which
you finish it.
7.
Respect how the organization
got to where it is.
Analyze the history of the organisation, and
what things have been successful and what things have been unsuccessful in the
past. Assume people made the best decisions they
could with the information they had at hand. As I
said above, understand before you seek to be understood. Put
your energy into the present and the future instead of the past.
8.
Recognize that some of your
great new ideas were probably discussed before.
It is one of the most common mistakes we make
when joining a new team. You'll
be a valued member of the team before you know it if you follow these eight
tips. Don't forget to extend a helping hand the
next time someone joins your team!
