One of the most daunting tasks when you start a new job is developing trust with your new colleagues. Whether you’re new to the world of work or an experienced hand, you are still starting at ground-zero with your new colleagues when you walk in the door. While you’re likely to get the benefit of the doubt, you still need to develop a rapport quickly and help people to see that you can be relied on.
Here are four suggestions to get you started.
1. Find a couple of quick wins
You want your new colleagues to see that you can be successful at your work. Unfortunately, many projects can take a while to complete and determining whether those projects are successful can take even longer. That means you need to be strategic about the first few projects you work on.
Find some things that you can do that can be completed quickly and are likely to succeed. Those “quick wins” won’t be your legacy in the workplace, but they are a great way to help you develop a reputation as someone who gets things done and does them well. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t also get involved in longer-term projects early on, but make sure that you have a couple of things that will complete quickly in the initial mix.
2. Be a good listener
I say this a lot. You have to resist the urge to dominate the first few meetings you attend and conversations you have with colleagues in an attempt to dazzle people with your knowledge and skills. Instead, you want to learn about how things function and what problems your colleagues are trying to solve.
In particular, listen for two key things. First, what are the issues your colleagues are dealing with? Ask questions to better understand their projects and concerns. This way, you can attach your comments and efforts specifically to their concerns to demonstrate not only that you have knowledge and skills, but that you can bring them to bear to solve active problems.
Second, you want to understand local norms. How does the organization like to get things done? You may bring new ways of accomplishing goals from your prior experience, but you want to make your recommendations in the context of understanding the way things are done now. That way, your recommendations will feel constructive.
