Getting to know your new team and organization
Start out on the right foot by engaging the new team
Being new to an organization can be intimidating like you have joined a party already in progress. There can be names to learn inside jokes to understand. Plus as a developer, there is a new code base too!
On the VIA Strengths, my top strength is the Love of Learning. I get a thrill out of the new situation. If you don’t I understand. I have a few tips to share on that soon!
Team
Start by getting to know your team. You will rub elbows with them daily so listen to what they say. Aim for connection first. When I understand someone better we can collaborate easily.
I worked with a group of guys from India a few years ago. Each day at lunch we would talk about life. Many of our conversations were about cricket. Being unfamiliar with the game I asked lots of questions. They were quite helpful and appreciated my curiosity.
Organization
The team is part of a wider organization. How do they fit into this puzzle? As you inquire to many people your picture should begin forming. Listen attentively to your co-workers.
Try to pinpoint the culture the organization embraces. What things do they celebrate? Are there topics that are avoided? The answers can reveal how teams work together.
Leader
There is no more important relationship than you with your leader. Start things off in the wrong direction and it can go downhill quickly. Especially if they focus on one thing you know is key to them.
Questions
Do you ever feel like, “Everyone asks the same questions?” We use the same few things to start a conversation. In Danny Beyer’s book The Ties that Bind, he reminds us to ask better questions.
The question “What are you passionate about?” or the less aggressive “What do you do for fun?” delivers the most unique answers and helps cement a relationship.
As you start your new journey at a company use better questions to build connections. Of course, remember what they said too. So when their team wins the Super Bowl you can congratulate them.