How to join the team at a new job: how to behave on the first day of work

A person spends most of his life at work. He often sees his colleagues much more often than relatives or friends.

If there is no mutual understanding in the team, employees quarrel over trifles and are ready to set each other up at the first opportunity, you can forget about a quiet life.

Any employee (of course, if he does not have a quarrelsome character) runs the risk of leading himself to a nervous breakdown.

Unfortunately, very often circumstances arise when people, unwittingly, jeopardize their relationships with the team.

A tense situation at work can be caused by a carelessly spoken word or an insignificant deed.

If you don’t want something like this to happen to you, read our article. Below are 10 main mistakes in communicating with colleagues. You will understand how to behave with them and will be able to avoid awkward situations at work.

Forgetting names

Every person is pleased to hear his name. Most likely, you have also been in a position where you couldn’t remember a person’s name. This can happen to anyone.

This can be forgiven for a newcomer, but if you have been working here for a long time, most likely they will look at you as an eccentric.

Have you started a new job? From the first day, try to remember the names of those with whom you will work, come up with associations, or even write them down in a notebook.

If you don't remember the name of your accountant or your deskmate, ask someone else whose name you know.

You should not improvise and call a person by a different name in the hope that he will correct you. Your colleague is unlikely to like this.

How to adapt in the first month?

During the first month, you will have to work hard to create a new “image”. A good reputation among colleagues is an important factor in successful career growth. In one month, it is quite possible to get used to the new team and feel good in the office.

Tell us a little about yourself : where are you from, what is your path in your chosen field. This is a rule of good manners: co-workers have the right to know with whom they are now dealing. Don’t bore your listeners with biographical facts—a few general phrases spoken with a friendly intonation are enough.
Don't post your life story right away., no matter how nice your colleagues may seem. They still see you as a stranger, not a friend. Therefore, it is better to leave funny and unusual stories from life until better times.
ADVICE! It is necessary to show a sense of humor, but do not forget that you are at work, not at a corporate party.
Don't force yourself to do things that are not typical for you in everyday life. For example, if during lunch the whole office goes to the smoking room together, there is no need to go with the crowd. Firstly, it looks stupid, because you are long out of adolescence and should have your own opinion. Secondly, with such actions you show your inconsistency, your readiness to go along with everyone, so as not to be among the outcasts.
However, there is no need to pretend to be a rebel who came to start a revolution. As they say, they don’t interfere with someone else’s monastery with their own rules. Some local customs may seem strange or even stupid to you, but so what? You belong to this group of people, which means you need to adapt quickly. As a last resort, you can gently and politely refuse another traditional “ritual”.

When talking with colleagues, avoid inaccuracies and conventions. You are not close enough to understand each other perfectly. Any mistake at first can cause significant damage to your professional reputation.
Don't get involved in other people's conflicts. This should never be done at all, and even more so in the workplace. Have you not yet had time to thoroughly study the characters of your colleagues, and are you already trying to prove something to them? You shouldn't do that. Old acquaintances will make peace, but you will forever be labeled as a brawler.
Don't take on more work than you can handle. There will always be lazy people who want to shift part of their responsibilities to an intern until he gets used to it and understands what's what. As the Russian proverb says, “He who is lucky, rides on him.”
IMPORTANT! If you do not clearly know the scope of your tasks, you will have to do double the amount of work without monetary reward.
Follow the dress code. This shows that you respect the place of work and accept the “rules of the game.” If there is no uniform style of clothing in the office, do not rush to amaze employees with your talent for choosing extraordinary things. They should be classic, calm shades. You will have to demonstrate your individuality in the process of working and communicating with others.

Watch a funny video about adaptation in the workplace:

Gossiping

If you plan to work in this team for a long time, forget about gossip. You can discuss people, their behavior and appearance with a friend, but under no circumstances with colleagues.

For example, you thought that your boss chose the color of his tie poorly, and you decided to discuss this with other employees. There is a big risk that your boss will find out about this. He definitely won't like it.

A colleague may tell everyone that you allow yourself to discuss the appearance of your superiors. Even if he is not capable of this, others can hear your chatter.

Remember, discussing and judging other company employees is taboo. If someone behaves inappropriately, it should not bother you. Of course, if you are not the boss, and this is not your subordinate.

Algorithm for managing new subordinates

There is no need to establish relationships with subordinates; they need to be managed (including firing them if necessary). And if this cannot be done effectively, you should continue to develop management skills.

1.
Try to find out in advance how many subordinates you will have
, what their names are, collect other data about them (for example, ask the HR department). Research as much information as possible about the company.

2.
On the first day of work in a new team, dress in business casual.
3.
When you enter the department, say hello and invite them to gather
for a few minutes to introduce themselves to the team. Briefly tell us about yourself: about your career and specialization, touch on personal issues so that there is no gossip and fabrication. For example, if you started working as a HR director, you can tell about yourself like this: “My name is Marina Yuryevna, I am your new manager. I live in Moscow, I have been working in human resources management for more than 10 years, I am married and have a child.”

4.
On your first day, determine how you should be addressed
and how you will address your subordinates. In my opinion, subordinates should be addressed as “you”. By addressing them as “you,” you put them on your level, but you are not equal in status. Therefore, they should also address you as “you”, you are not friends, this will help maintain the hierarchy. Address them as “you”, by their first and middle names, unless they ask you to call them by their first name.

5. Ask each person in your department to say the same thing about themselves.

Later, be sure to study in detail the resume and personal file of each subordinate.

6. Tell employees to continue working as usual.

In the meantime, you will watch the work. You can say this: “Colleagues, I ask you to continue your work as usual. I will observe the work and learn the specifics of the company and our department. We will discuss my observations and conclusions later.”

7. If your predecessor left unsorted documents, sort them out in the first days.

Ask your subordinates to help you and ensure that all papers are sorted and filed into folders. Nothing is more depressing than mountains of other people's papers of unknown purpose.

8. At first, observe what is happening,

try to understand the business processes of the division. Refrain from outside conversations, especially personal conversations with both subordinates and management.

9. Study internal documents

, local regulations, regulations, try to understand business processes, draw interaction schemes for yourself.

10. Try to identify weak points in business processes.

Talk to each subordinate, understand their view of the situation, their willingness to work, their desire to improve something. Observe their behavior to understand group dynamics: into which groups the established team is divided, which group is dominant, are there any anti-leaders who will threaten your management of the team.

Do not support neutrality

It often happens that all employees are divided into several warring groups. If you are rushing between them in a panic, wondering which side to choose, take your time.

It is better to take a neutral position and not take part in this war. You will probably have a hard time too, members of different groups will try to win you over to their side.

In this case, stop any attempts by your colleagues to talk about the current situation. Say that you don’t have an extra minute, take the conversation in a different direction.

What can provoke colleagues into conflicts?

Unsociability, sullenness, reluctance to respond to requests. This does not mean that you should be allowed to sit on your neck. But be kind and help out your colleagues when they really need it.
Complaints to superiors about colleagues. It is better to resolve controversial situations among yourself by finding compromises.
If you are in a bad mood, your boss yelled at you, things aren’t going well, don’t take it out on your colleagues ! There are many ways to deal with stress: hobbies, auto-training, meditative techniques, favorite music and much more.
Don't assume that your opinion is the most important. Straightforwardness is often confused with banal bad manners. Hold back , speak only when it is really important.
Friendship at work. You may not notice how this will interfere with your work process and your colleagues. Frequent smoking breaks, long lunches, and endless conversations will not please your boss either.
Fear of overworking, if it’s a shared task, especially if it’s an emergency.
Don't take something from your colleagues' desk without asking.
Constant comparison with your former job, especially not in favor of your current one.
Poor, inappropriate and unnecessary nosy questions . For example, what salary is paid to whom, who is in what relationship, etc.
Loud conversations on personal topics , loud phone music, strong smell of perfume, conversation with colleagues in a raised voice. Agree that these moments can infuriate both you and those around you.

One of my friends complained that she was forced to look for other vacancies. As it turned out, an entire department organized persecution against her. In relationship psychology, this phenomenon is called mobbing , when everyone is against one. The reason for the mobbing was workaholism , which was perceived by the department as a desire to please the boss and stand out from the rest. We managed to solve the problem by identifying the main instigator of the bullying and discussing the situation with him directly. If, on the contrary, you are too lazy to do something, then read about how to deal with laziness.

Don't bring your colleagues treats

If it’s customary for your team to give treats or giveaways, don’t ignore these rules.

It seems that this is a personal matter for everyone. But if you don’t bring small souvenirs from your vacation, and don’t buy a cake on your birthday, after a while they will start looking at you askance.

Don’t think that your colleagues collect magnets or dream of eating sweets for free. For them, this is a manifestation of attention and goodwill.

No one is forcing you to shell out for expensive treats or gifts; you can choose something more budget-friendly.

Remember

A manager in a new team must remember the importance of the first month of work. An algorithm proposed by the famous psychologist M.E. will help you adapt. Litvak.
The main tasks of the first period are establishing relationships with your boss, colleagues (equal in status) and managing subordinates.
You need to obey your boss, form equal relationships with colleagues, and manage your subordinates.
Study your subordinates.
On the first day, gather everyone, tell them about yourself, ask them to do the same.
Determine the format of communication. It's better to address yourself as "you".
Ask them to continue working as before. Watch.
Study internal documents, local regulations, regulations, delve into business processes, prepare interaction schemes for yourself.
Determine group dynamics, identify informal leaders.
After two weeks of work, call a meeting. Praise loyal employees, talk to disloyal ones. Tell us how you see the work of the department in the future.
Do not make friends among your subordinates - otherwise it will be difficult to achieve authority in the new team.

Have you ever become the leader of an unfamiliar team?
Share your experience in the comments to the article! Subscribe to the telegram channel of the Russian School of Management @rusuprav Author: Yulia Zhizherina Business coach in labor law and personnel management

Do not communicate with colleagues outside of work

Some people clearly distinguish between professional activities and personal life. They try not to communicate with colleagues outside the office. There are even those who will ignore a friend request or pass by in a store or cafe.

Be friendly but unobtrusive. If you say hello when meeting outside the office or add your colleague as a friend, nothing bad will happen.

Otherwise, you will come across as a proud person who considers communication with other employees of the enterprise beneath his dignity.

They will treat you with caution. Nobody wants to communicate with you.

Advice for new managers

It will be much easier for a person who has already been a boss at his previous place of work. It is more difficult for a newcomer in this field, who has come to a leadership position for the first time, or to a new company.

Recommendations will help you spend the first day correctly:

Adaptation. First, you should get to know each employee of the department where the person is appointed as a manager.
Orientation. Immediately familiarize yourself with the new responsibilities and principles of work at the company.
Actions. It is important to prove yourself as a boss already on the first day, based on interpersonal connections with subordinates.
Execution of functions. At this stage, problems may arise: the faster they are resolved, the faster the adaptation process will end.

Don’t forget about the heads of other departments and maintain good relationships with them. The new manager's responsibility is to attend management meetings.

Important! Full adaptation of the new manager will occur no earlier than 1-1.5 months from the start of work at the company.

Guided by the proposed advice, you can quickly and effectively join the company, both as an employee and as a boss in a new place.

The main thing is to try to be friendly and responsive: then the connections will improve on their own.

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You're being too intrusive

Don't go to extremes. If you are trying your best to establish contact and pester your colleagues with conversations, do not hope that you will soon become “one of our own.”

First, take a closer look at people. Some of them are not averse to chatting about abstract topics, while others find such behavior unprofessional.

Try to behave with restraint, do not force friendship on everyone. Each person needs to find his own approach.

Be polite and correct

Regardless of what basic principles of business communication are applied in a team, basic politeness will always be your strong quality and will help prevent many mistakes in your new workplace. Make it a rule to address your colleagues as “you,” always say hello first, smile more often, and don’t be shy about asking permission. If you are afraid that politeness will be mistaken for sycophancy, learn not to go overboard. Personal effectiveness courses, acting courses or business communication training will help with this.

“Politeness is an artificially created good humor.” Thomas Jefferson

Constantly showing dissatisfaction

No one will want to be around a person who is offended by the whole world. If you are constantly dissatisfied with life, do not be surprised that there will be fewer and fewer people wanting to communicate every day.

You can speak unflatteringly about your employer, scold noisy neighbors, complain about your car and traffic congestion. It seems to you that discussing problems brings you closer together. In fact, everyone will begin to avoid communicating with you.

Think about it, would you really like to regularly listen to your colleague’s complaints and dissatisfied speeches? If not, keep your negative emotions to yourself and don’t spoil the mood of others.

Rules of good manners

Job satisfaction depends not only on salary, but also on the relationships that have arisen between employees and management. The ability to correctly express your thoughts, soberly assess the current situation and control your emotions is the right way to work in a friendly and well-coordinated team.

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Be optimistic. Many people like to complain, but no one likes to listen to other people's complaints;
Show restraint when you are interested in the professional activities of your work colleagues, as well as when talking about your own achievements at your previous place of work. Let the result of your work speak for you.
Show moderate interest in the personal lives of your boss and subordinates. If a person is not in the mood to share his experiences, do not insist;
Sincerity, honesty and willingness to help are the surest way to achieve recognition and respect in the work team;
Don't try to please everyone at once. This is impossible! Identify 2-3 people with whom you would be interested in communicating;
Be yourself. You should not appear smarter, more modest, or more sociable than you really are. Internal tension will accumulate until it turns into chronic dissatisfaction with work, colleagues and life in general.

Shock your colleagues with details of your private life

Sometimes you want to get away from calculations and plans, cold calls and processing clients, and then conversations about personal things come into play. Nobody forbids you to participate in them. On the contrary, they help to get closer.

Don't tell your autobiography in great detail. Lack of money, misunderstanding of the husband, bad behavior of children, quarrels with mother-in-law - all this, of course, is very interesting. It’s just not necessary to inform strangers about this.

Allowed topics are films, hobbies, travel, fashion. Leave your secrets and conversations about the most intimate things for your friends. Otherwise, you will not only not find a common language with your colleagues, but you may become the object of gossip.

Specifics of business etiquette

Each profession and job has its own unique set of rules and requirements for communication between colleagues and with clients. Thus, for kindergarten teachers, one of the fundamental points is the ability to establish contact with children’s parents. Many government organizations (schools, clinics, libraries, etc.) often develop a special code of professional ethics.

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Such a code lists all the main points relating to communication between colleagues, teachers, students, patients, administration, and also puts forward requirements for the appearance, personal characteristics of the employee, and his moral character. Failure to comply with these standards indicates that the employee is not suitable for the position held.

A set of such rules may vary depending on the place of work. The requirements for the behavior and communication of a nurse in the clinic and in the intensive care unit differ. In the latter case, severe demands are placed on the employee’s personality, because she works with people in extremely difficult health conditions, and a disrespectful, callous attitude towards the patient can cost him his life.

Are you into flirting?

If both women and men work in the organization, there will definitely be a couple of ladies' men and fatal beauties seducing everyone. Don't repeat their sad experience.

Dirty jokes, hints, touches can be unpleasant for colleagues. Representatives of the stronger half of humanity do not think that small pranks irritate everyone around them.

Although the girls are not far behind, they make eyes and show off their charms. Such people are usually not very liked.

Of course, they will communicate with them, smile politely, but they will perceive their Don Juan partner solely as a hindrance, a frivolous person who cannot concentrate on the main thing.

Not increasing your efficiency

To win the respect of your colleagues, it is enough to simply perform your duties well. Don't try to make friends with everyone around you. You came here to build a career, get paid, not have fun.

If you show good results, you will be appreciated in the team. Perhaps envious people will appear, but do not pay attention to them. Adequate colleagues will be happy to support someone who is focused on fruitful work, makes unique proposals, and strives to contribute to the development of the company.

Then you will be appreciated not only by the organization’s employees, but also by your superiors. You can count on a salary increase or career advancement.

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Psychology at work and team relationships

The branch of psychology that studies relationships in a team is rightfully considered the most difficult. And this is not surprising, because misunderstandings constantly arise between colleagues. There are several reasons for this state of affairs:

doubts about the professional qualities of another person;
setups in front of management;
gossip and denunciations.

Similar problems happen in every team without exception. You can not only easily get rid of them, but also turn them to your advantage. This requires minimal knowledge of the psychology of communication and relationships with colleagues.