Once you join a new company, your team members become your family. Introducing yourself appropriately is, therefore, crucial to forming a bond with them. Among many things you will do around this time, getting to know your team members and becoming a part of the team will be a significant task.
Knowing your team members well will make your work easier in the long run. If you get on well with your colleagues, you will find the work environment pleasing and be able to work stress-free. It would help if you established yourself are a team player and showed you’re willing to do your best.
And while you would have formally been introduced to the team by the manager, you still need to do your bit and introduce yourself again in your way. Open and professional interaction is the key to establishing yourself at this point.
Why is it Important to Introduce Yourself to The Team And Get to Know Them?
It’s essential to get to know your team for several reasons. Making an impression on your coworkers at the start is important because this is how they will perceive you for the duration of your stint at the company. People are quick to form opinions, and the one they form about you should be that you are professional and confident.
The way you introduce yourself has got a lot to do with that. Introducing yourself to your colleagues is different from introducing yourself to your superiors during an interview. There are some tips to help you, but a lot depends on your personality and mode of interaction.
Once you introduce yourself correctly to your colleagues, the rest of the journey with them will be smooth and easy. Knowing some strategies will help you put your best foot forward and establish a rapport that will last throughout your stint at the company.
What to do Before Introducing Yourself to The Team?
To introduce yourself to a group of people, you must know a little about them to interact with them better. Here is what you should do before introducing yourself to the team:
- Make sure you research the team and the organization as much as possible. While you will get all the information about the company from the company website, see if you can find something about your team online.
- Familiarize yourself with your roles and responsibilities so that you can confidently talk about how you look forward to contributing to the team.
- Be clear about how you want to introduce yourself to the team. Practice your introduction so that you do not falter while speaking. Work on sounding natural and confident, and also work on your body language.
- Prepare some questions that you may have for the team. That will help you clear any doubts you may have regarding your role in the company at the very beginning. It will also help you avoid mistakes later and give your new manager and colleagues the impression that you are meticulous about your work.
- Put some thought into your dress. Chances are you will be told to introduce yourself on the very first day, so think in advance about what you will wear on your first day at your new job.
Ways to Introduce Yourself to Your New Team
While how you introduce yourself will depend largely on your team, here are some general points to help you make your introduction smooth and easy.
1. Prepare a Short Description
Speaking about yourself can become very challenging, especially in front of strangers in a professional setting. Hence, prepare a brief self-description where you talk about your qualifications, experience, and something about your hobbies. Keep it brief, and you can add some humor, though refrain from making it too casual.
2. Be Aware of The Onboarding Process
Every new employee has to go through an onboarding process. You can use this period to learn more about the company and the organization.
Try to know about areas like the performance cycle, the evaluation process, and ways of communicating with the team. Start gathering knowledge so that you can use all the information during your formal introduction.
3. Avoid Personal Topics
To get close to your colleagues, do not add too many personal details while introducing yourself. Only add enough so that they have some idea about what kind of person you are. Do not try to ask any personal questions in your first week to your coworkers as well.
Try not to make casual remarks or jokes, even if you see your colleagues making them. Remember that they have known each other for a while, and you are just getting to know them.
4. Prepare an Introductory Email
Sometimes, your manager might tell you to write a group email to your colleagues. That way, you can organize your thoughts and write an email stating everything you want your colleagues to know about you.
Be cordial in the email and make sure you have proofread it thoroughly before hitting “send.”
5. Make Use of Coffee And Lunch Breaks
You can use the lunch and coffee breaks to introduce yourself to the team. That will be a more informal setting and help you interact with your colleagues more lightly.
You can exchange cordial greetings, and your colleagues will also introduce you to others, increasing the number of people you will come to know in the company. You will come to know others from HR and other administrative departments this way.
Tips to Introduce Yourself to Your New Colleagues
Here are some tips to help you introduce yourself better to your team members.
- Try to match your vibe with that of the workplace environment. If the workplace has a semi-formal environment, do not be too formal in your attire or demeanor. That may cause you to be perceived as uptight.
- Pay heed to the orientation process. You will learn a lot about your company during this period, and you will be able to use the knowledge to your advantage.
- Always respond to welcome emails and also reply to any follow-up emails. That will give the impression that you are a team member with good communication skills.
- Find ways of engaging and interacting with your colleagues without being too overbearing. For example, if they ask you to grab a coffee with them, respond positively but do not push yourself on the first day. Give them space to invite you in, which will further cement your relationship in the long run.
- Try to keep an open mind. Do not try to interact with your colleagues with preconceived notions. And stop yourself from developing biases or making judgments. It will allow you to interact with them better and more openly.
Examples of Introducing Yourself to The New Team Members
Here are some examples of how to introduce yourself to your new team members.
Example 1
Hello everyone, I am Steve. I have been an Operational Manager for (name of the company) for seven years. However, I decided it was time for a change, and here I am today. I have joined as a Senior Operational Officer, and I look forward to working with all of you.
I have been told that it’s an incredible team, and I hope to contribute positively to this amazing team. In addition, I love to paint, and I have a dog named Cheese.
Example 2
Hi, everyone. I am Agatha. I have been a bookkeeper for the last two years at my local community library, and this is my first big job as an accountant. I have been told you are all amazing to work with. I hope to learn from all of you in the days to come.
I also love to play the piano, and I have a three-year-old daughter who always keeps me on my toes. I cannot wait to start working, and I am sure this will be an incredible journey.
Example 3
Good morning, everyone. I am Jacob, and I am new here. I have joined the team as a Digital Marketing Executive and am excited to work with all of you. I have been in Sales and Marketing for five years, but I have always wanted to make a career in Digital Marketing.
I am sure I am going to learn a lot from all of you, and I am looking forward to being a part of this team. On the personal front, I am a dad to two boys, and I love going on hiking trips with them. I look forward to having some adventures with all of you as well.
Conclusion
Joining a new company brings its share of excitement. Becoming part of a team and being accepted by them feels amazing. There have been far too many cases where people resigned from good jobs because the team members were difficult to work with.
Hence, if you put effort into knowing your team well, it will pay off big time. Allow your team members to know you as well. Over time, you may develop a bond beyond mere professional ties alone.
