When You’re the New Kid in the Office
Recently a Generation Y acquaintance e-mailed me that she was having a hard time connecting with the baby boomers at her new job – particularly during department meetings. She asked if I had any suggestions on how she could build more positive relationships at the office. Here’s my reply.
(1) Listen more than you talk.
You are, after all, new – not only to the company but the world of work in general. So you have a certain amount of catching up to do on the nuances of client relationships, company culture, and the personal agendas of your colleagues. Listening will help you figure out who seems open to new ideas, who is supportive of others, and who has the real power in the group. (Hint: It isn’t always the boss!). You’d be surprised how much you can learn when you open your ears instead of your mouth. And not surprisingly, people who are good listeners are invariably regarded favorably by the people they are listening to. Altogether it’s a great way to seem smart while getting smart.
(2) Spend at least as much time preparing for meetings as you do attending them.
Do your best to be the smartest as well as the newest team member. Presumably meetings take place to solve a particular challenge. Make sure that you are up to speed on all aspects of this problem before you attempt to find a solution. If the meeting involves a colleague you haven’t meet before, look up their profile on Linkedin and Facebook to learn more about them. This will give you a better sense of their strengths and any experiences or people you may have in common. If you’re meeting with a client, look up their personal profile as well as that of the company. Then do a Google search on the firm and any topics to be discussed at the meeting. If you can add to the knowledge of others people will quickly realize that in addition to being a good listener, you’re worth listening to yourself.
(3) Show respect for others – even if they are rude to you.
Sometimes your teammates may seem disrespectful – perhaps because of your youth and lack of experience – or because they’re just – as my ninth grade history teacher used to say about the Huns – “rude, crude and barbaric.” But the quickest way to get the upper hand with rude people is to behave more graciously than they do. With a little practice you can be courteous without letting people walk all over you. Ultimately, other people observing this behavior will conclude that you are not only nicer, but brighter, more mature, and dependable than your attackers. Think Obama versus McCain.
Remember, sometimes we profit more from adversity than we do from good fortune. We certainly learn more – and that in itself is good fortune indeed.
Wendy Lalli is a freelance marketing and corporate communications writer who also coaches professionals in transition or on the job. She wrote features for www.cookwork., www.whatcollegeforgot, biospace.com, and the Chicago Tribune as well as a career advice column for 25 newspapers in the Chicago Sun Times network.