Daily Archives: April 11, 2008

3 Tips to Fit into a New Team at Work

When you work in a team environment, you’re bound to run into many different personality types, but some temperaments don’t always mesh. If you’re new to the job, you might feel overwhelmed trying to fit in and get along with everyone. Here are a few tips to help you deal with different personality types in the workplace.

Recognize individuality – Everyone has their own unique strengths. Get to know each person individually, and discover what makes them tick. Are they passionate about music, animals or protecting the earth? Once you find something in common, you can better relate to that person and engage in conversations with them. Be sure to open up as well. When your co-workers know more about you, they’ll be more likely to start a conversation with you because they can ask about your interests.

Be open-minded – Different people have different ideas to bring to the table. Just because a co-worker’s personality doesn’t initially click with yours doesn’t mean you can’t get along with them in the workplace. You don’t have to hang out with them outside of the office, but you should be able to remain civil and work with them on a daily basis.

Adjust your attitude – If you’re not getting along with your teammates, take a look at yourself. While you can’t change others’ behaviors, you can change your own. This doesn’t require you to change your personality, but it might call for you to adjust your outlook about the person or situation. Put your personal feelings aside, and focus instead on your teammates’ positive contributions to the team. If you want to continue working in a healthy environment or just want to keep your job, it might be time to change your negative attitude into a positive one.

Successful teams work well together, no matter what personality types make up the group. Working with a new team can be challenging, but if you’re open minded and look for the positive traits in others, you’ll be able to adapt and fit in.

Do you find it easy to fit into new teams? How do you handle working with different personalities? Give us your feedback in the comments section below.