Assimilating into New Teams and Mastering Workplace Procedures

Finding yourself in a new work environment is something that can leave you second guessing all the time. First, it takes some time to get used to new ways of doing things, new work schedules and even getting familiarized with new colleagues. Of course, a few awkward moments are expected. This is normal. 

In one particular instance, a worker who was new in a particular organization, and who happened to have met a new acquaintance at work was given a list of dos and don’ts by his new “friend” on how to approach every manager. I understand what the friend was trying to do. He was just trying to make things as easy as possible for his new colleague.  This isn’t particularly a bad thing as many organizations even organize orientation programmes for new employees as it helps in familiarization.

Still, it is important to note that studying the organization by making your own observations will give you a perspective that suits you. There is no guarantee that Manager A who reacted in a particular way under a particular circumstance to Mr B  will react in a similar way to Mr C in the same kind of circumstance. This is true for so many reasons. One being that the difference in personalities can make people to react differently even in identical circumstances . Hence, you get situations like this where a particular individual does a particular thing and gets away with it, whereas another fellow who does something similar pays dearly for doing the same thing. Then he thinks it has something to do with bias. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t. The tips outlined below can help one familiarize in a new work environment:

• Get Updated: Go through their website, study space,  come a little bit earlier than the other workmates so you can have that extra hour you need to look around and see how things are.
• Be Friendly and Create A Good First Impression: This helps in so many ways as many people will continue to see  you based on the initial impression you created. Introduce yourself to people properly. Try to mingle, don’t isolate yourself.
• Ask Questions. Asking questions where you need clarifications will save you the time and embarrassing associated with making unnecessary assumptions.
• Maintain Neutrality: Don’t take sides on issues you don’t know how it began or what led to it. Don’t see anyone for now as an ally. 
• Be Positive and Optimistic: You can see the changes from the positive end. It could be a new adventure worth embarking on; just explore the new opportunities and also see it as a forum where you meet new people .

Remember this isn’t just about getting familiar with people in a new place, it is also about understanding organizational procedures. The essence of having these procedures is to eventually make the system function in a smoother and more efficient manner. In some firms, money cannot be taken out of the company account without the endorsement of maybe two or three principal officers. This kind of additional protocol would help prevent unnecessary withdrawals from a particular individual for personal  reasons. In some organizations, an additional protocol may be created to provide an additional line of security to checkmate illegal activities from taking place.

An organizational procedure by definition  is a step-by-step description of the tasks required to support and carry out organizational policies. They also help to provide a clear understanding to employees of what is actually expected of them.

In many instances as I have seen, some organizational procedures create unnecessary bottlenecks preventing  the smooth flow of work. There have been instances where work has been delayed or eventually suspended because of the signature of a particular official after two or three other signatories may have given their consent. We see that all the time in many agencies and yet wonder why some establishments fail to live up to their full capacities. 

So before creating or continuing a particular organizational process we should ask the following questions:

• Will this procedure lead to quicker work delivery?
• Does it serve as an additional security check?
• Does it improve documentation and record keeping?

If it passes these tests, then maybe you can consider having that process as part of your organizational procedure.