How to Be a Star When You Join a New Team

Want to guess how many jobs you’re likely to have in your lifetime? According to a 2019 survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it’s 12! 

Changing jobs can bring about a tremendous blend of feelings. For me, it was always exciting, a sense of a fresh start and a new opportunity to deliver and impress. But also, there was the anxiety. What if I’m not a fit? What if they don’t like me? What if no one picks me for the kickball team? (Occasionally, my elementary school nightmares would seep into my grownup misgivings).

What if I’m not a fit? What if they don’t like me? What if no one picks me for the kickball team?

If a job change is on the horizon for you, then let's talk about some strategies that will help you stand out as a new member of a team.

While I'm at it, allow me to double-up on the value of this episode. Even if you're not changing jobs, the strategies I'm about to share with you can be used to reinvent your relationship with your existing team. So, go for it!

Begin with relationships

Starting a new job can leave you feeling like you’re drinking from a fire hose. A ton of information will be coming at you, likely well more than you’re able to absorb and recall at first. But don’t panic. The most valuable thing you can do in your first 90 days in a new job is to focus on relationships over facts and data.

Start by making connections with your new team members—in groups, and also one-on-one. Strong relationships with your team members will set you up for success. When you have questions, need to seek collaboration, or want advice on a sticky situation, having trusting relationships will become your secret sauce.

So begin by just connecting with people and focus on building trust. Share what you’re willing to share about yourself and learn about each of them as you go. 

Learn the unwritten 

Many organizations have written documentation designed to tell you how things work. Between your company website, an employee handbook, and the employee policy center on the intranet, there will be no shortage of official information on how to get things done.

Many of these questions won’t be answered right away. And you certainly won't find them in a handbook.

But if this isn’t your first rodeo, then you know how important it is to learn the unwritten rules of getting things done. Who are the gatekeepers? What are your boss’s pet peeves? What are the cultural norms of meetings—slides or no slides? 

Many of these questions won’t...

Keep reading on Quick and Dirty Tips