Meeting New Colleagues And Building Relationships

This newsletter will guide you you through the change of transitioning to a new job and meeting new colleagues.

Meeting your colleagues

The adjustment period from one job to another or from college to the workplace can be challenging due partly to the changes in social dynamics. You are going from one set of peers, friends, and colleagues to another and learning about new people with different personalities, communication preferences, and work styles.

One of the best tips regarding smooth transition adjustments is to take time to meet some of your new colleagues within the first few weeks of starting. You could ask to schedule a one-on-one meeting with different staff members, including the ones you will be working closely with, or meet them casually during a break or lunch hour. Scheduling formal and informal meetings can help you become more accustomed to the workplace and help familiarize yourself with the personalities and people working at your organization. It can also help you learn more about their communication style/preferences, which could help when working on projects or assignments.

It is also important to make a first impression. First impressions often last, and your reputation follows you throughout your career. Therefore, creating a solid first impression on your coworkers could be critical in your growth and development as a person and professional. You can do this through being productive, performing your best work, asking questions, and showing a positive attitude towards work each day.

Additionally, it is essential to learn about the organization’s culture and rules. Use the employee handbook to explore things like the dress code, communication preferences (does your organization prefer Slack, Discord, Email, etc.), and office etiquette. You can also learn about company culture and bylaws by talking to other team members or your direct supervisor.

Interpersonal skills

As you transition into the workplace, you will develop different types of relationships with your colleagues, including coworker relationships, mentorships, and team member relationships, which will follow you throughout your career at the organization.

Sometimes, we transition to employment without knowing how to develop these relationships. As such, it is important to learn about interpersonal skills and how you can learn and nurture these skills. These traits are ones you can rely upon in your communications and professional relationships:

Active listening
Teamwork
Dependability
Responsibility
Motivation
Empathy
Patience

It is important to develop these skills to enhance your colleague’s perception of you and help interactions and communication run smoother. These skills are not learned overnight and can take weeks or months of practice and conscious effort.

One way to develop/improve your interpersonal skills is to maintain a positive mentality. When an organization is going through a rough time or a project doesn’t turn out exactly as you would have hoped, many employees prefer to be around people who have a positive outlook in difficult situations.

Active listening is another critical component of developing interpersonal relationships and is vital to healthy communication and dialogue. A few ways to build healthy, active listening skills can include putting your phone away or turning away from your computer when one is speaking, taking notes, asking questions, and thinking before speaking.

One of the most important (and difficult) components of interpersonal skills is knowing we are imperfect people and that there will be times when we make mistakes or need support. Thus, asking for and accepting feedback and constructive criticism is a great way to learn from others, demonstrate humility, and display a willingness and desire to learn, grow, and improve as a person and employee.

Setting boundaries

The nature of employment and the many different personalities and communication styles within the workplace opens the door for potential conflict. Not every relationship is perfect, and understanding how to set and enforce boundaries can be crucial to maintaining your mental health and establishing healthy relationships with your colleagues. This can increase productivity, maintain a healthy work-life balance, and increase job satisfaction. It can also reduce the risk of work-related burnout and stress.

There are different types of boundaries you can set, including:

Physical boundaries
Handshakes over hugs
Wearing headphones to indicate busyness
Eating lunch alone if needed
Specifying how long one can borrow an item for
Emotional boundaries
Avoiding engaging in someone’s bad mood
Talking to a manager about how you prefer to receive feedback
Mental boundaries
Establishing your work hours
Not gossiping
Set focus status on your phone to indicate you are busy

One way you can begin creating boundaries is to evaluate and set your priorities and consider what aspects of your life are most important to you. For example, you might be a parent and need to set and establish certain working hours to accommodate your child’s needs. You might have specific sensory needs, such as a quiet room, access to headphones, or established break times.

You will also want to spend time understanding and outlining your workload, as this can help mitigate or reduce feelings of burnout. Being honest with yourself as to the amount of work you can take on at one time can be key to navigating your own mental well-being while working full-time; communication is also critical to the establishment of healthy boundaries as it allows you the opportunity to express your needs and what must occur for them to be met. It also allows you to share which topics are on and off limits and enables you agency over your career, mental well-being, and goals.

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Meeting New Colleagues and Building Relationships