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By Vincent Malunga | 27 May 2022
You are a new recruit in your latest Organisation….How do you make friends quickly?
Vincent Malunga provides some tips!
Starting a new job brings a whole litany of new things and experiences. It is a case of a new work environment, new rules, new boss, new peers, new subordinates and a whole host of other new things.
Adaptability and open-mindedness are keys to settling in quickly as a first step to excellent performance and impression management.
A useful way to settle in quickly is to make friends. Of course there are those who have a philosophy that posits that one should separate colleagues from friends. For those, this may not be that useful. For most people who spend 8 to 10 hours of the productive waking day at work, making friends at work may not be only useful, but also inevitable.
Thus, it is helpful to have some insights into a process that may seem like a natural no-brainer but that can be fraught with some difficulties. We could all use some tips on how to go about it to make is easier.
A key starting point is to have clear criteria for picking out who one could seek out connections with, based on one’s own personality, likes and dislikes.
This is akin to what normally happens in the home environment. However, it is also important to be open-minded and not be too quick to judge people.
The starting point is often the people we come into contact with first. This likely to be those in the department or business unit where we are employed. It is important to be proactive and not make oneself a guest in a place where one aims to stay a long time. It is also easier to reach out to peers of the same rank, rather than superiors or juniors. The latter may be skittish and somewhat suspicious of differently ranked colleagues.
Request immediate colleagues to show you where the cafeteria is for lunch or where the company gym is located.
Most of the time, colleagues will be more than delighted to go with you the first time, or you may find out that they have the same interest in patronising the facilities. Over lunch and during gym sessions, conversations blossom and you start getting to know your workmates as well as other colleagues who happen to be there.
Company socials after work or at company happy hours on Fridays are another good place to get to know people and potentially make friends. Everyone is more relaxed, and after a few complimentary drinks, people loosen up and start chatting.
If there are other clubs such as sports, chess or something as crazy as society for creative anachronism, explore and join to your ample enjoyment!
Shared interests form good pillars for friendships.
Another good way is through volunteering to assist colleagues. When new, it takes time before one’s plate becomes proverbially full with work. Use the opportunity to volunteer and assist other colleagues whose plates are full to the bream.
Appreciation for assistance is a good way to attract friendship.
Later on, one can invite colleagues home or to after work events and other activities to develop relationships further.
One must not underestimate the power and value of friendships at work; they can be invaluable.
Colleagues are wells of knowledge and institutional memory that one can tap into very usefully.
What they share can help one avoid dangerous pitfalls while identifying opportunities to exploit. They are also the first people to know when something goes wrong with one and can quickly inform one’s family accordingly.
While HR is the custodian of employee well-being, it is an institutional structure rather than a friend who can drive one to the doctor. It cannot stay with you while waiting for a family member to come and take over. It is thus well worth considering making a few good friends at work, and sooner rather than later.
Here is to making good productive friendships at work!
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This article is also published in the GFI Newsletter on LinkedIn
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