3 Things You Can Do To Build Relationships When You Are in a New Role

Starting fresh can be exhilarating and scary all at the same time. Any time you have the opportunity to start anew in a different role, whether it is with a new company or the same, it is a chance to build strong relationships. Those early connections can make a huge difference in your long-term success. Everyone wants to make a positive first impression as well as hit the ground running. Occasionally, those can come in conflict with each other. Here are three things you can do to ensure you build lasting and rewarding relationships in your new position.

Be Patient

It can be hard being in a new company or role. You may have come from a place or position where you were highly competent, and now there are unfamiliar things and faces. Be patient with yourself, which allows you to be patient with others. Most people are willing to help and provide assistance, but this is the time to show restraint on reactions when you get frustrated because you do not know something you think you should. Don’t forget others around you have a regular job as well, and providing training or extra insight is often seen as secondary to what they need to get done. When you begin by being patient with yourself, it will be much easier to show it to others. It is okay to not know everything right from the start.

I recall how unusual it felt moving from a company where I had more than twenty years of history to a new company. At first, it felt like it would be impossible to gain that level of knowledge and comfort again. It took time. Period. I had to show myself some patience to ensure that I could allow myself to learn and grow into the company and position.

Ask Questions

The best way to learn is to ask thoughtful questions. It falls somewhere between the two-year old that asks, ‘why’ after every new thing they see, and sitting in the back of the classroom staring out the window. Curiosity is the best training tool there is. There is also a good way to ask, ‘why do you do it that way’ and a not so good way. Your vocal inflections and the place from which you ask those questions will go a long way in accelerating your learning and help to build relationships for the long haul. Asking why something is done a certain way with an accusatory or judgmental tone will result in a defensive answer. Asked a different way, such as, ‘that is different from what I have seen before, can you explain why that process is the way it is,’ can open the door for more dialogue than a curt question that elicits a protective response.

Asking multiple people questions also allows you to receive fresh perspectives on how things are done and why. Here is where asking with the intention to learn and satisfy curiosity will help to inform how you can use that information in the future. Depending on your role, the early learning can be a way to offer new solutions as you settle into your position. In most cases, people are hired to bring their unique skills to a situation. Knowing how you can best apply them, in context, to your new company or role will help set you up for success. It will also make your suggestions more interesting to those around you.

Show Gratitude

Gratitude goes a long way in helping to establish new relationships anywhere. No one wants to hang around with the new person who is pushy, ego driven, or overbearing. Being specific with your thanks and letting people know how much you appreciate them sharing their insights and wisdom builds bonds that will pay dividends later. This is especially true if those that are helping you learn are your direct reports or peers. In most retail situations, training is completed by people in the same role as you or in roles that will continue to support you once you are established in your position. Having a strong, positive relationship with them will make it easier for everyone to work productively.

Wherever you can, personalizing and being specific helps to reinforce that your gratitude is not just surface level. Saying, ‘thanks for your help in showing that to me’ is nice, but not as specific as, ‘I appreciate you walking me through the Monday report. That gives me clarity on how you use it and why this information is important to the company. This is really helpful for me. Thank you.’ This approach personalizes and makes the connection between the two of you and not just to the information. And, as a bonus, I’ll bet you’ll feel better about it when you’re done saying it as well.

These are helpful tips for beginning in a new role, and they can be used for almost any situation where a new team member is introduced, or a shift has occurred. These are core leadership competencies, as well as common courtesy in almost every situation. Being patient with yourself and others gives space for learning and development. Asking questions reinforces that learning process and opens up new possibilities. Showing gratitude will strengthen your connections with others and be equally rewarding for you. Here’s hoping you get off on the right foot in your new role.

What other examples do you have from when you last started in a new role and situation?

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Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash