Getting a new job must be exciting for you. You must have got a salary hike; you must be expecting to learn new things; this might be the job of your dreams! However, with a new job come new responsibility, new seniors, new expectations, a new workload, and a new team to be a part of!
Needless to say, you have to gel with the new team and make new bonds with your co-workers.
However, making friends with co-workers should not be treated as a task. As a matter of fact, a positive team culture is crucial. It helps in maintaining a delightful work environment. But a few things can come in between this:
Whatever the reason is, one must know how to make friends in the workplace. Here is a guide which would help you in making friends with co-workers:
This might sound simplistic, but most of us are really bad listeners. Now, you must be thinking that you are not one of them as you do pay attention to the workplace, and do not miss any work details. But this is not what it means. We are not talking about work only!
As an employee, you spend a minimum of 8-9 hours a day with your co-workers. Apart from work, a team spends time talking, sharing their personal experiences, celebrating birthdays, etc. As a fellow worker, you will have to understand this. You will have to be empathetic towards the team members while they share their stories. A good listening ability would do half of the job here.
There are many ways through which you can build a bond with your co-workers. One of which is by actively participating in conversations and discussions. Now, some of these co-workers might be indulging in gossiping or complaining about seniors and others. This is how they prefer to bond. You must try to be positive. Complaining about the seniors, co-workers, company policies, etc. will be of no help.
If you want to increase your productivity, work happily, and grow in your career, you better stay positive and give positive inputs in the conversation. This would not only be a good working policy but a healthy perspective to adopt in personal life too.
In big organizations, usually, there are different departments taking care of specific tasks. This department is run by a head but runs on a strong team. You might be an employee of 20 people’s team, and your role might not be visible to others; but you have to remember that if you cannot play as a lead, you at least play a side character, but with full zeal. If all you can do is cheer the team, it is worth it. Do that! You are a part of the team, and whatever it takes to help the team to complete the task, you do that.
Promise things wisely! However, if you promise to do something, make sure you do it. This is not only a good habit, but it would also make you a reliable team member. You will be somebody who keeps the word. Be it big presentations, collecting data, meeting deadlines, conducting a meeting, or simply doing daily office work, you will be trusted by your team and seniors.
You might prefer to sit back, observe the things, analyze the team and working style, and do your homework before you make friends with the team members. However, it’s important to understand that most of your co-workers are waiting for you to make a move. So, make the first move. Offer help to a coworker, without he/she asks you. Show them that you are interested in having a conversation with them.
Apart from the above-mentioned tricks, here are a few other ways of making friends at the workplace:
Introduce yourself:
It is important to introduce yourself to others. Take an initiative to know each other’s names (for starters). Take advantage of the time the team spends at the meal break, tea-breaks, before a meeting at the water cooler, or in the elevator. Ask them what they are up to, how is the work going, any famous food-joint nearby, anything!
Use names in conversations:
A popular book written by Dale Carnegie named ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ states something true- Any person’s name is for that person the most important sound he/she would ever want to hear. We all love our names. When somebody calls us by our name, we feel connected.
Mix-up with people:
Rather than eating your meal/breakfast at the desk, go out with people, eat at the pantry with others, share your tiffin with them, have a tea/coffee with others. Get to know them apart from work. After you know them enough to invite them for some ‘after-work’ drinks, do that!
Decorate your desk:
Add a little life to your working space! Photos, sticking stickers to the desk, putting quirky or motivational posters/frames/goodies, etc. reflects your personality at your workspace.
You can also:
Be Aware of Your Body Language:
One more thing which will help you in making friends at the workplace is your body language and attitude. Listening with crossed arms, texting on your phone while working (or during discussions), putting on your headphones, etc. will create a negative image, and you will become unapproachable to others. The more welcoming you appear from your body language, the more likely will people talk to you.
Let Them See Authentic You:
Be authentic. What is the use of making friends if they do not know the real you? If you want people to be open, you have to be open with them too.
Being a part of a new team is intimidating for most of us, but making sincere efforts to build friendships with your co-workers will help. So, no need to worry, go to the office and spread your magic!
Verifying, please be patient.