Becoming a Team Member
Starting a new job in a new school can be challenging because there are so many groups of people who you work with and who you want to have a good relationship with. It can be overwhelming with students, parents, your superiors and also of course with your new team. Finding your place in your new team is a process which you are able to manage by yourself for a large part.
If you are looking for tips of how to become a well-respected and accepted member of your new team – I am happy to help you out!
How to get a successful start in the new team
Showing a Positive Attitude - Even if you are really nervous on your first day at your new school, having and showing a positive attitude opens doors for you and helps you win people over quickly.
Asking a lot of Questions - Show your interest in their way of doing things. Try to get an understanding about their processes, their work flows, communication channels and so on.
Getting to Know Everybody - In the beginning, you might be overwhelmed by all those new names and faces, but make sure that you meet everybody in person and have a chance to at least make small talk to everybody in the very beginning.
Most important: Respecting their status quo
Consider the world of your new team. They have probably worked together a long time already and known each other for a while. They do have a common history of achieving things and solving problems. Whenever your new colleagues tell you about things from the past, show your appreciation for everything they have achieved so far.
Of course, you see things with different eyes, you are new to everything. And of course, you might instantly have ideas about how to improve things. But keep them to yourself for a little longer, do not make the mistake of suggesting changes right in the beginning. Listen to them first and show you are eager to understand reasons and details before you make your move.
What can I do when I don’t feel accepted by my new team after a while?
If you have a vague feeling that your new team members don’t accept you or that they don’t even like you, try to find out if part of it is actually true. Start by asking yourself some questions, like for example if the team could have gotten the impression that you didn’t show enough respect for their status quo. Could it be that you unintentionally tried to push new ideas of yours for improvement? Or did you already engage a bit too much in gossiping? These could be possible reasons for a team not to like or accept somebody new.
But whatever the reason is, working on your relationship to your team members can help. Try to arrange meetings with single team members for lunch for example and engage in nice, friendly small talk conversations. Over time, you can check if your vague feeling of not being accepted disappears. If that’s the case, then the original reason for them not accepting you doesn’t matter anymore. If you still feel like nothing has changed, then talk to your team members directly about how you feel.
Keeping an open mind helps you fitting in
Let your new team members know you are embracing change. By taking on a new job your life changed anyway, some parts hopefully to the better, but some parts might have been better before in your old job. It’s the same like with every work environment. Everything is new to you, be open for your new work environment with different rules, a different atmosphere compared to what you had been used to used to before working in your new school.
Also, try not be judgmental in anyway, stay open for everything to come. The rest will fall in place for you to become a well-respected and accepted member of the new team.
To learn more about finding your place in a new team check out my on-demand class Becoming a Team Member where you can find a lot of helpful on-demand video tutorials and follow me on my social media accounts.
As a subscriber you gain access to video tutorials like...
- Reduce fears before your new job start by preparing right
- Start relaxed into your new job by considering different mindsets
- Manage your first day, your first week and your first month by using smart strategies
- Identify with your new school faster by understanding organizational politics
- Score with your new ideas by making new suggestions the right way
- Win sympathy by using a simple psychological trick
- Handle friendship at work by considering important details
- Find your place by using the right strategy and setting up your mind accordingly
- Prevent and solve conflicts with new team members professionally
We will be adding new content on a regular basis.
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