According to the laws of the pack. How to fit into a team at a new job? New team: success from day one

To begin with, I never liked changing jobs, but sometimes I still have to. There are layoffs, there is just a thirst for new activities - I think every person faces this sooner or later. And the most difficult thing with a new job is not a new position, responsibilities, or something like that. The most difficult thing (after the interview, of course) is to become your own in the team.

I am a sociable person by nature, and problems with colleagues are unknown to me, but the time spent on maternity leave with a baby has erected some kind of barrier between me and other employees. I was nervous, did not know what to do, and in the end I decided to figure out how to adapt to the new team.

My search led me to a friend who is a management psychologist by profession and was able to give me some valuable advice on how to fit into a new team and suggested a couple of good books on the subject.

Where to begin

The first impression is made only once. This became my golden truth, and I thought out in detail how my exit to work would go. People form the first impression literally in one or two minutes of communication, so it is important to pay attention to your appearance, mental attitude and behavior.

Appearance must comply with the accepted formal or unspoken dress code. At the interview, I was in a pullover and tight trousers, but I noticed that the girls without exception go in suits.

Having found a suitable jacket and skirt in the bins of my wardrobe, I mentally ticked the box - the issue with the appearance was generally resolved. Neat low-heeled shoes, some tasteful jewelry, a good haircut and competent makeup completed the image of a new specialist in my (I must say, very attractive) face.

The internal mood had to be worked out in detail. Initially, it seemed to me that the new company was a friendly team, and I would be a stranger in it. But then I realized - I was already approved. Approved by my new manager, approved by the HR specialist. So, in fact, I am one of them, and if you behave correctly, then the question of how to adapt in a new team will disappear by itself.

More and more HR professionals are using a good onboarding method called welcome training. As a rule, this training lasts from a couple of hours to several days, during which the new employee has time to get to know the company, his colleagues, and get to know the whole work process better.

One of the advantages of this method is the ability to build contact between the newcomer and each of his colleagues.

How to behave properly

It took me a little time to formulate the basic rules of conduct.

Positive is the key to success! You don't have to play funny, but an open smile and a friendly appearance will help you get close to your colleagues pretty quickly.
Ready for everything. Newcomers are treated with some suspicion - I remember this from my own experience, when new employees came to our friendly team, everyone experienced some awkwardness. So, awkwardness is absolutely normal. The alertness with which the team meets the newcomer is also in the order of things. It fades away after a few days.
Calm, just calm. Perhaps familiarity has been adopted in the new team. Perhaps, in their free time, the whole team is fond of gossip. You should not react sharply to something, in the most extreme case, you can smile and politely ask about what confused you - is it really accepted here.
Each monastery has its own charter. When changing jobs, the most problems arise when a newcomer tries to criticize a well-established team. It is possible that he is right in some way, but there is another aspect - the newcomer does not have sufficient authority and level of trust for his criticism to be adequately received.
Curiosity and a thirst for knowledge have never stopped anyone. A beginner has the right to ask questions - even if he is a good specialist, there are certain specifics of working in this company, and you can always ask something. When colleagues help a newcomer, they become more loyal to him.

What to pay attention to

To understand how to join a new team, you need to become observant. Observing the team can open the key to the hearts of colleagues. What to look for:

names and addresses that are accepted among colleagues. Do not use diminutives or nicknames;
traditions and small rituals that are characteristic of others. The first one who came to the office opens the window? Do it, and deserve a few words of gratitude. Does a person going to lunch bring some small snacks to the busier workers? Going out to dinner, ask someone what to take.
it would be nice to identify the informal leader of the team in the first days and establish some kind of contact with him. This will help you get comfortable, build relationships with other employees and give an answer to the question of how to easily enter a new team.

I acted according to this plan, and joined the team in just a few days - by the end of my first working week, we already met with colleagues outside of work, went together to the billiards to celebrate my employment, and one of the girls lives at the same metro station that and I - now we often see each other on weekends.

So now I can give advice from my own experience - there is no need to be afraid of your new colleagues, you need to try to behave naturally. People love sincerity, and always respond positively to it - it will be easy to get comfortable with such an attitude. How to behave in a new team? So that I would like to communicate and work with you.

Adaptation is not the easiest thing, but with proper preparation, there will be a council for it. You should not try to please everyone - you are not a brand new five thousandth bill. You should not fawn, or become an "errand girl" - this does not paint a person.

But if you show friendliness, attention to work and human responsiveness, then colleagues will not remain indifferent - the positive attitude of one person is transferred to others, and after a few days, colleagues themselves will begin to be interested in the newcomer, offer him help and participate in every possible way in his adaptation process. By the way, do not change the tradition of celebrating employment - an informal atmosphere helps people to relax and make friends.

No matter how confident you try to seem, petty fears come at your heels. Suddenly will not accept the team? I look like? Am I up to the task? Maybe you should have dressed differently? How easy is it to join a new team?

The psychological atmosphere in the team is of great importance. Of course, there is no need to arrange home gatherings at the workplace, but hardly anyone would want to go to work as if to war. Because if the atmosphere in the office is far from ideal, it will be very annoying. And you have to go in search of a better place.

A new employee for the team is a kind of Mr. X, about which no one has the slightest idea. Your task is to show your best sides and convince new colleagues that you came in peace.

Follow the dress code

Of course, it is not important how you are dressed, but still no one has canceled the meeting “on clothes”. The first thing that immediately catches your eye is the appearance of a person. Even if at the previous job, the clothes of employees were not the subject of special attention and were not submitted for general discussion, you still have to think over your image.

Text: Polina Kuznetsova

complain to the authorities, write memos;
take offense at jokes;
Speak badly about your former job, co-workers, or superiors;
discuss your own or other people's personal affairs;
provoke conflicts;
behave vulgarly and defiantly;
to fawn and humiliate in front of someone;
flirt with both employees and superiors;
mention acquaintance or family ties with superiors and other superior people;
attract everyone's attention.

The first days or even weeks at work are a lot of stress for many people. Unfamiliar environments and requirements, lots of information to work through. How to quickly join this new team? After all, you don’t want to make stupid mistakes, you need to show your best side.

For each woman, maternity leave is a different period of time, usually, of course, it takes three years

The next step, which will tell you how to quickly join a new team after maternity leave, will be preparing for possible problems:

ignorance of new employees;
lack of necessary skills;
changed atmosphere;
other working conditions.

Refresher courses and social and psychological trainings on interaction with people will help to solve them, they will refresh your memory and help you get involved in the work process. Use all your professional skills and abilities, strengths and virtues.

Returning to work after such a long break is associated with another difficulty - a change in life scenery. You are already accustomed to spending a lot of time with your family, to a certain daily routine. It will be good if your husband takes over some of your household duties. In addition, the change in the status of a housewife to a working and earning woman is already a motivator for further employment prospects.

How can a child fit into a team?

Most children have no problem making new friends.

Transfer from one class to another, change of school and place of residence often cause difficulties for children to communicate with their peers. Adapting to new rules and regulations is not easy for everyone. The question of how a child can fit into a team requires a quick search for answers:

start by discussing the problem;
together with the baby, determine the tactics of his behavior in unpleasant situations;
work on individual characteristics that cause negativity among classmates;
understand what values are present in the class or group and how your child will achieve success and respect;
work on your mistakes - incorrect parental behavior, the position of my baby is always right or constant interference in his school affairs will serve as proof of his weakness;
do not impose your life experience, in particular on adolescents, they must cope with their adaptation on their own, parents must remain in the role of advisers, and not solve all issues instead of their children.

Getting used to a new environment, new internal rules is always difficult. When entering a new job, many people experience the greatest stress not from fear that they will not cope with their duties, but from anxiety about how they will be perceived by colleagues. How to behave in a new job in order to quickly get used to work tasks, make a good impression on colleagues and make you start to be taken seriously?

First day

Traditionally, a manager introduces a new employee to colleagues. It is good if the company is small or regular general meetings are held. Then acquaintance with others will happen faster. If you go to work in a corporation, be prepared to learn about new colleagues within a few weeks, not only through the head, but also in the process of solving problems.

On the first day, the main thing is to be introduced to your closest colleagues, with whom you will have to work closely. Try to remember them. Even better - briefly write down who is called and who is responsible for what.

If you forget someone's name, ask again on the same day. It's perfectly normal to forget someone if you've been introduced to twenty people in a few hours.

If it is customary for the company to communicate in a general work chat or in a group on a social network, make sure that you are added there. Ask your manager about it. Ask to see the documents that regulate the work of the department or you personally, if any. For example, editorial offices usually have a red policy, and design studios have clear standards and life hacks.

Ask colleagues if the office has a canteen or kitchen and where they have lunch. It is best to go to lunch with them on the first day, even if you do not plan to do this in the future. During lunch, discuss general topics: who lives where, how long it takes to get to work, and other neutral issues.

First week

Your main task for the first week in communicating with colleagues is to remember everyone, to understand who is who and how you interact with them. Colleagues should also remember you and understand what questions they can contact you about.

Don't brag and don't be smart. You should not stick out your talents if you consider yourself more experienced than your new colleagues in some way. Even if you really want to demonstrate your professionalism, at first take the position of an observer more and express your opinion within reasonable limits, especially if no one asked about it. It is much more important to prove that you are interested in work tasks, that you do not hack, but observe the processes and learn new things - these are the most important signs of a true professional in any position.

Ask questions. The main communication rule for the first week: "If you don't know, ask." Ask about everything that makes you even the slightest doubt. Even if it seems to you that these are stupid questions, remember that you have an indulgence - you are new here! It is better to figure out how to do it right than to do it at random. Everyone around is well aware that you are a new employee, and they expect these questions from you.

If you have come to work in a new field for you and do not yet understand the details of the business, ask one of your colleagues to explain the process to you step by step. It doesn't have to be your manager or someone senior. It may be more helpful to talk to subordinates or peers. After such meetings, you will immediately understand the processes: how everything happens, how much it costs, how much time it takes to implement. If you are a manager, only such conversations will help you optimize the processes that you lead.

Ruslan Lobachev, content producer: “From television, I came to work in an online cinema. The sphere is adjacent, but there are a lot of its own details. For the first week, I didn't understand why it took so long to post a movie on the app. It turned out that this is one of the sore spots in the company, and the marketing and content promotion department could not understand why video engineers constantly miss deadlines. In order to understand the production process, I asked the chief video engineer to meet with me and explain the details. After an hour-long lecture, I learned that one movie weighs hundreds of gigabytes, takes a long time to download from the server of the owner company, then archives to the cinema server, then encodes, then goes through the final stage of preparation, such as subtitles. It is impossible to do all this in one day. From the very first week, I made advance planning a priority in my work. I had to move the release dates of several films and justify this to the marketing department. But within a month, we were able to set up the release process, upload films on time and prepare them ahead of schedule.”

At meetings, feel free to write down in detail what is said. At first, there will be a lot of information that others understand at a glance, but for you - a dark forest. This is normal: you are new here, you have yet to delve into many nuances, understand the internal processes. This is especially true for large companies with a complex structure. If something is not clear during the meeting, and you do not want to interrupt the general discussion with your questions, mark these points for yourself and ask colleagues to bring you up to date after the meeting. In the new circle there will always be someone who will sympathize with you from the first days and will agree to take the time to give you tips. If you don’t know at all who to turn to for help, ask who in your team was the previous “newcomer” before you - this colleague still has fresh memories of how difficult it was to get used to the new environment, he is best able to understand your feelings and, rather everything, will not dismiss if you ask for help. In order not to distract a colleague from work, the easiest way is to ask him or her to accompany you at lunch and ask the accumulated questions in an informal setting.

Look for feedback. Every day, you don’t need to approach your boss with a request to comment on your work, this is annoying. Come back after the first week (you can write a letter or ask in the chat). Next time ask for feedback after the first month, and again after three months. It is good when the company organizes such meetings with each employee, for example, at the end of the trial period. This is usually done by the HR department. At such meetings, they discuss your impressions of the work, give you an objective assessment, and together outline possible development paths and goals for the coming year. But even if there are no such meetings, ask the leader to meet with you yourself. An adequate boss will never dismiss a newcomer and will find time for him.

First month

Watch your colleagues. Watch how they behave, how they solve work tasks, what is accepted in the team and what is not accepted.

Understand responsibility and differentiate it. Don't do tasks that others should be doing. There are teams where employees try to push their business to a newcomer. Learn to say a firm no if you are sure that this is not your function. And, on the contrary, specify with a direct question, whose task it is, if there is any doubt. In long-established teams, everyone is used to who is responsible for what, and the boss can set the task “into the void”, knowing that the right person will pick it up. If it turns out that in a particular case you should have become such a person, because your predecessor always dealt with such tasks, but no one informed you about this, then, of course, this will not be your fault. But the conflict situation is guaranteed.

Don't try to act differently than usual. If you do not smoke, do not start going to the smoking room with colleagues. If it seems to you that they are discussing work issues, bring up this topic in a work chat, in mail, or at a meeting. In a healthy working team, news in the smoking room is not recognized.

Behave naturally. Don't try to make jokes if you usually prefer to listen to other people's jokes.

Be polite. Observe the rituals established in the team. If you see that colleagues are collecting for a gift to someone in the department, offer to participate. Don't come up with revolutionary ideas. This is called "with your charter in a strange monastery" - and is not welcome in any established team.

Less emotions. Try to think rationally at work, not emotionally. Something happened? Turn off the emotional reaction and think about how to solve the problem.

Stay neutral. Most likely, after some time you will find friends and allies here, as well as opponents. All in good time, but first, stay neutral. It is possible that there are ongoing conflicts and other complex relationships in the team that are still invisible to you, and there are intriguers who can immediately try to draw you into this story that is completely unnecessary for you.

When communicating with colleagues, do not meddle in their personal lives. Don't go into too much detail about yours either. Do not participate in office intrigues and do not be interested in gossip, especially if you work in a women's team. It is better to offer to discuss plans for the weekend or a new movie at the cinema.

First three months

It's usually only by the end of the probationary period that you realize who's who in the office. For the first three months you are a beginner. The same works in the opposite direction: colleagues understand what kind of employee you are, whether you can be trusted with tasks and rely on you. Usually only after three months (and sometimes after six months) you begin to be taken seriously, especially if you are a young specialist.

Remember that others do not know how to read minds and so far do not understand you perfectly. While you are not yet on the same wavelength with your colleagues, try to convey your thoughts to colleagues as thoroughly and calmly as possible. Remember, if you are not understood, they are not fools, but you did not explain well enough. Be pedantic and explain yourself as thoroughly as possible. By the way, not everyone can understand jokes either, a sense of humor is a subjective thing.

False Consensus Effect

This is one of the biggest mistakes that can happen to a newcomer to a team. Our brains tend to project their way of thinking onto others. We automatically assume that others think the same way we do. Therefore, there are misunderstandings in the transmission of information - both oral and written.

When communicating with colleagues in a new team, explain the context of your messages. "Check your watch" to make sure you're talking about the same thing. Everyone has their own quality standards, working tools, habits.

Remember that your colleagues may think very differently. For example, you think that after each meeting, the manager who led it should write a short summary letter to everyone who participated in the meeting. And no one in the company has done this before you. To avoid misunderstandings, discuss the benefits of such letters with colleagues.

Well, the most important thing. You came to this company to work, not to make new friends, demonstrate the ability to tell jokes and please others. Your manager will primarily evaluate the results of your work. Do not try to seem like someone you are not, be natural and calm, be interested in what is happening, but do not overstep personal boundaries. This is the best way to put yourself in your place in any team.

Hello dear readers! Appointment to a leadership position is always exciting. Still would! After all, you and now bright prospects loom ahead. And if now you have been appointed head of a department, you probably imagine how you will eventually head a branch, and maybe even join the board of directors.

While you are immersed in these dreams, like in a barrel of honey, a small but tangible fly in the ointment disturbs the soul. Peace is not given by thoughts of how they will perceive in the old team of the new boss ? It's one thing to get a promotion where you've already worked for some time and know every employee well, internal regulations and unspoken laws.

It's quite another thing to take office chief to a new place. Here the beginner feels like a sapper in an endless minefield. One wrong step and instead of a dizzying career, the newly minted boss will face a deafening failure. Tighten the screws too much - and they already hate you and plot intrigues behind your back. Do not wait, miss - fast you will lose credibility and your opinion will be considered no more than the opinion of an office cooler.

So how do you behave at work so that employees are imbued with respect and do not insert boss sticks in the wheel? About, how to join a new team leader , and not to fill cones at the same time, we will talk in this article.

First, remember how not to behave

If you shared your concerns with your friends, you could get some bad advice from homegrown psychologists.

Open the door to the department with your foot and immediately show who is the boss here
Do not listen to anyone - from now on you Chief and should listen to you
Get yourself a spy who will report on what is happening inside a cohesive old team

Remember - this is not the way to start a career in a new place. This is a direct path to quiet hatred on the part of subordinates. But you shouldn't go to the other extreme either. If you demonstrate miracles of democracy and loyalty from the first day, do not expect to be taken seriously in the future. There will be an opinion about you as a soft-bodied person, whom easily push and impose your opinion.

So how is it anyway right take up one's duties at work so that such a long-awaited appointment does not turn into a headache as a result?

Set aside “your charter” for a while

Of course, you have your own vision, how right build relationships with subordinates and how to work. But if you start putting ideas into practice in the very first days, you will get stiff resistance.

Even if your reforms are sound and allow you to optimize work processes, remember that you have come to a “foreign monastery”. And while he has not become his own for you, while they are only looking at you, any of your initiatives will be taken with caution.

Don't rush to make friends

In many teams there is an employee who aspires to become a squire boss . And he is usually disliked by others. So, if among your subordinates there was also an employee exuding helpfulness and in a hurry to fulfill your wishes, even before they are announced, try to keep him at a distance.

The benefit of such a "faithful slave" is doubtful. All he can give you is a portion of regular gossip from the smoking room. But the damage will be tangible. The rest will decide that you have got a pet and will slowly begin to take revenge.

Don't believe everything you are told

Often, old-timers try to mislead a novice leader in order to bargain for some concessions or bonuses for themselves. At the same time, the entire old team claims without batting an eyelid that this has been the custom from time immemorial. You may be told that the previous boss had nothing against "corporate gatherings" in the workplace. Or to repeat that he was a kind-hearted person and always turned a blind eye to the fact that Ivanov and Sidorov were late every day.

In general, no matter what you are told about the former “golden times”, do not rush to take it on faith, and even more so fast implement into life. And even if it was so before, you are not obliged to maintain traditions that are contrary to the employment contract and job descriptions.

Politely but firmly explain that from now on, Friday corporate parties are transferred from the office to the nearest cafe. And Ivanov and Sidorov will have to set the alarm clock half an hour earlier in order to be to work along with everyone.

Do not fall into the trap of the “gray cardinal”

This is another common practice to crush chief under yourself. In every work team there is a person, and sometimes more than one, who believes that you have taken a position that rightfully belongs to him. If he is really smart, then with the advent of a new leader he tries to do everything to manage himself established team. Let even in the role of "right hand".

It is sometimes difficult to understand that they are trying to manipulate you, but it is possible. Here are the main signs:

It's informal . He is respected and his opinion is considered by all or almost all employees.
He does not express his dissatisfaction with your appointment. On the contrary, in every possible way patronizes and supports the new chief.
He offers his projects, usually thought out in detail - up to which of the employees will implement which part.

It would seem, what's wrong with the fact that you have such a wonderful assistant? No matter how great the temptation to trust the "good fairy" who performs the lion's share of your duties, do not succumb to it. If you let go of the reins of power, it will be difficult to get them back.

You don’t need the glory of a boss who sits his pants in the head’s chair and doesn’t represent what to do ? Namely, this is what the failed boss is trying to achieve, hoping to move into your office sooner or later. Therefore, politely thank him for his help, praise him at meetings for his initiative and, if you see fit, encourage him financially. But make decisions on your own and only after delving into all the details.

Refuse to be an arbiter

In large teams, two or even more warring camps, unfortunately, are not uncommon. To successfully start leading subordinates, observe absolute neutrality. You just came here and do not yet know all the details of undercover games.

If employees start attacking you with complaints about each other, do not rush fast deliver verdicts. Listen to both sides, and then explain that you, as a new person, find it difficult to judge the conflict. That way you don't have to take sides.

Do not try to demonstrate your superiority

Some mistakenly believe that the best defense is an attack and choose a deliberately disastrous course of action. For example, you should not act like a Harvard graduate among schoolchildren, because you are surrounded by adults who have men and women.

Even if your diplomas allow you to boast of education, keep in mind that experience also means a lot. At best, you will be laughed at. At worst, they will get angry and do everything to put the arrogant boss in a puddle along with his diplomas.

Be especially careful if you woman and came to the women's team . Here you can be shown not only intellectual superiority, but also appearance. Therefore, postpone provocative and extravagant outfits until appropriate occasions, and at work give preference to a restrained business style.

Tips to help you effectively manage a new team

You probably already understood that it is not easy to adapt to a new place not only for an ordinary employee, but also for boss . First you need to understand that you definitely won’t succeed in becoming a universal favorite. Why? You can read about it in the book. Itzhak Adizes “The Ideal Leader. Why they can not become and what follows from this” .

However, it is possible to bypass the pitfalls and enter into established team without any hassle. Take advantage psychologist's advice and you will see that it is quite possible to win the respect of subordinates, even if you are an absolute beginner in this company.

Get to know everyone

Start your first working day by getting to know the team. Most likely, you will be introduced in a nutshell by higher management. But after that, it is desirable to set aside fifteen minutes for less official communication.

Fast Tell us about yourself, previous place of work and professional skills. You can also touch on your hobbies - so others will understand that you are a living person, and not a biorobot programmed to work. But the details of personal life are best left behind the scenes.

Then listen to the employees and try to remember who is responsible for what. Do your best to remember the names. If, after such an acquaintance, you turn to someone “Hey, how are you,” this will be a manifestation of blatant disrespect. Do not rely on memory - write down the names in a notebook.

In addition, try to learn as much as possible about the people you are going to . To do this, just watch them. Someone sits in social networks and counts down the minutes until the end of the working day, while someone is sincerely passionate about their work and can stay up late, immersed in the project.

You must understand what to expect from everyone, who you can rely on in any situation, and who will fill up the deadlines and not blink an eye.

Tell subordinates about what awaits them

Even if you followed psychologist's advice and common sense, refusing to reform for the first time, most likely in the future you will have a desire to change something. Inform the team personally about all the innovations and be prepared for the fact that some of them will be hostile. In such cases, explain what prompted you to make a decision and how this will optimize the work.

Work on your reputation

It is not easy to create and very easily destroy, so do not make rash decisions and do not get excited, no matter what happens. In difficult situations, do not hesitate to consult with the team. Don't worry, you won't be seen as incompetent. On the contrary, employees will appreciate the fact that you listen to their opinion.

Correctly respond to criticism. Remember, you are not a gold piece of gold to please everyone. Take fair remarks into account, and ignore rumors and gossip from the smoking room, . You should not stoop to the level of the lower grades and take revenge on the offenders or call them for an educational conversation.

In turn, use criticism carefully. Your remarks should be to the point and in the wording that does not offend the interlocutor. It is easy to hurt with a word, it is even easier to make an enemy in the face of a subordinate by speaking derogatoryly about him or his work in front of other employees. Therefore, for serious conversations, call employees to the office, and do not arrange an accusatory rally in the middle of the office.

Do not give impossible tasks

When distributing current tasks, take into account the experience and qualifications of each employee. It is important to observe the golden mean here. The task should be feasible, but not super easy. Different employees spend different amounts of time on the same job.

Yes, an experienced specialist will be able to cope with the task in an hour, while an intern takes half a day. But if you bombard a professional with easy tasks with which he fast dealt with like seeds, he can relax. Leave small things for the less experienced, and entrust the ace with an interesting difficult task that will allow him to demonstrate professionalism.

Control the execution of work. If you suddenly see that an employee is not coping or meeting deadlines, give him someone to help him or entrust the task to a more experienced colleague. This way you will demonstrate your attention to work processes and insure yourself against missed deadlines.

Be kind and open

This does not mean that at a meeting you will be patted on the shoulder, and after work they will call you for a beer. The reputation of his shirt-guy on the board no boss - must always be respected. But the halo of an unattainable, always busy boss does not contribute to a healthy atmosphere in the team.

Let employees know that you appreciate the initiative, that you are ready to listen to suggestions and provide the necessary assistance. Let subordinates know that they can turn to you in a difficult situation and get support. This will have a much better effect on your reputation than low-grade flirting with the team.

And you had to experience all the delights of adaptation in established team as a leader? Write in the comments what moments caused difficulties and how you coped with them. Share your experience - it is important for others!