Arriving at your new job: How to join the team

The first days and weeks in a new team present employees with many challenges and can fix my resume. How are the workflows? Who works with whom? What do I have to consider? This is associated with excitement for the newcomer to the team. Essay bro, to make it easier to join our team, there are a few rules that you must follow.

Don’t set expectations too high

First of all: new team members are not always welcomed with open arms. And that’s not unusual either. Because for the old hands these colleagues often mean one thing first of all: extra work. After all, as a newcomer, you must first be familiarized with the tasks. You also have to reckon with the fact that another team member might have liked to get the job you now have and that you, therefore, have to deal with ignored competition.
So be prepared for the fact that you may be met with skepticism at first and don’t set your expectations too high.
Understand that your colleagues have to get to know you first before they fully accept you as a new team member.

Get to know colleagues quickly

To quickly grow into the team, one thing is particularly important: Show interest in your colleagues. The lunch break together or the short conversation in the morning often form the basis for building good relationships. Approach your colleagues openly and ask if you can join them during your lunch break, for example. A friendly and open-minded manner often arrives and paves the way for you in the team.

How to Introduce Yourself to a New Team as a Manager - PM Column
But be careful: Always behave professionally. Even if you are relieved and happy that your colleagues are going to the canteen with you, you should not talk about private topics straight away.

Questions facilitate team entry

In addition to the personal level, when joining the team you will also be confronted with many innovations on a professional level. Certainly, many workflows are foreign to you at first and you cannot yet find your way around the organizational structures very well. So ask questions if something is unclear to you. Do not act if you are unsure. This is a quick way to make mistakes. It’s better to do more research and make sure you’re doing the right thing. It is important here that you proceed confidently.
If you do not know who to ask if in doubt, contact your manager and ask him to name a contact person. In this way, the time of familiarization will be easier for you, and you will learn more quickly how certain processes work in your team and much more.

No empty promises

One trap that new team members often face is the topic of expectations: You may hope that you will distribute new tasks and, in total, provide relief. Show that you are the right person for the job, but always remain believable. This includes that you do not make any promises that you cannot keep. Completing a task within a few days that others take much longer to complete will not be possible for you either. So plan realistically. Otherwise, you make yourself implausible and risk your reputation right from the start.

Wait instead of rushing ahead

Surely you have many ideas for change when you’re new to a team. You will also notice negative things. However, you shouldn’t rush ahead and bring suggestions for improvement and criticism to the table.

Instead, practice patience and get to know your team first:

  • Observe who the informal leader of the group is.
  • Find out which suggestions are well received by colleagues.
  • Analyze which behaviors are more like a red rag to others.

A note so that you do not forget your suggestions for improvement: Write down your ideas from the beginning so that you can apply them after a while when you are better integrated into the team. Very important: stay relaxed. It takes a while for relationships to grow and for you to really be able to speak of a successful team entry. But with a little instinct, you will soon succeed.