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Office 101: Making Friends in the Office

26.05.16 By Bhartiya City

For some, the prospect of starting a new job is exciting. It’s a chance to step out and make your mark on a new company through injecting your passion and bringing your new ideas and experiences to life. For others though, the idea can be rather daunting. There are procedures to learn, processes to grasp and you’ll need to keep track of the daily routine and much more.

We know your head’s probably spinning right now, but there’s one more thing you’ll need to do. Amongst your many new duties, you’ll have to find time to fit in with your new co-workers.

If you’ve made the exciting decision to leap into new and unchartered territory, here are a few simple ideas to help you break the ice and become acquainted with your peers.

Office Space | Bhartiya City

Time to Say Hello !

Credit: Flickr

First thing’s first, it’s time to say hello! Yes, you might think this is a pretty obvious one but a lot of the time this is the first thing people forget (or are too nervous) to do. You might be expecting everyone to flock over to your desk to meet the newbie in the office, but chances are your co-workers are busy getting on with their duties wondering what the new person is like. It doesn’t take much- a simple “hello” or “goodbye” can make an impression.

If you’re starting to get to grips with “hello” and “goodbye”, try striking up conversation with your colleagues and ask them about themselves- after all everyone’s favourite topic is themselves, whether they admit it or not. There’s no better way to get to know someone than to ask about all the exciting things they get up to when they’re not at work. Go on, give it a try- you might find that you’ve got something in common! Make sure your questions are always open ended.

Whether you go for coffee or start a cricket team, it’s common these days for colleagues to do things together outside of work, so try going along to a work-related event or even organise your own. Nothing screams “be my friend” more than inviting your new co-workers out on a colourful evening on the town.

Everyone in this world needs help. It’s also innate in everyone to want to share their wisdom with others. If you’re struggling with something, don’t be shy to ask for help- you needn’t feel embarrassed or weak. Everyone needs help now and then and it’s a great way to break the ice having someone else’s involvement in something you’re working on and to learn more about the way your new company works.

Finally, it’s safe to say that you might not get on with everyone you work with, so be confident, happy in yourself and you’ll find that you attract the right kind of people you want to be friends with anyway. Ask yourself “am I somebody I want to hang around with”, if the answer is no, your colleagues probably feel the same Nobody likes the office grump who slumps without coffee!

If all else fails, bake a cake. You’ll soon find you’re the most popular addition to the office.

Banner Credit: Flickr