Why Popularity DOES Matter in the Office (And How to Get It)

Why Popularity DOES Matter in the Office (And How to Get It) Editors Note:   Good morning! Todays guest post is from Katheryn Rivas, a writer for online universities.   Have a wonderful weekend! So you’re the new guy (or gal) in the office. While you may just naturally be on the shyer side or tend to be a loner, if you want to create job stability you need to quickly acclimate to your new environment and get people to like you. While going to work shouldnt feel like youre participating in a popularity contest, you do want to ensure that you are a well-rounded, likable employee. This is because experts say when times get rough and the head honchos are forced to give someone the ax, those who are well liked at the workplace are the least likely to be let go. While yes your performance level will always be taken into account, being well liked can definitely help your chances. Not to mention having friends in the office can make the long 8-hour work days fly by. To learn how to quickly win your new co-workers over, continue reading below. 1. Introduce Yourself The first thing you need to do is make your rounds and introduce yourself. If its a large company, a mass email may suffice, but introducing yourself in person is highly recommended. Even if your boss introduces you by just telling your team, here is our new [insert job title here] you need to formally introduce yourself to individuals. At this time you want to make a good impression. Smile, actually listen when a co-worker says their name, and give the co-worker a compliment (if its sincere)â€"flattery usually wins people over quite quickly. 2. Accept Invitations One of the easiest ways to earn acceptance with your co-workers is to simply say yes every now and thenâ€"yes to lunches, yes to happy hours, and yes to other work-related events and parties (especially in the beginning). Your coworkers are surely to invite you to join them to lunch for example during your first two weeks, but if you refuse from the start theyll think you want nothing to do with them and they will eventually stop asking you. So even if you brought your wholesome peanut butter and jelly sandwich to work, save it for later and go with your co-workers to lunch. That’s not to say that you have to say yes to everything, but every now and then give-in. 3. Know Your Place While you may be highly ambitious and have some great ideas on how your new employer can modify and improve business, you dont want to start off as a Mr. or Ms. Know-It-All. Follow protocol and orders, meaning dont constantly question instated procedures and motives, especially those given to you by your superiors. People will start to think, Who is this outsider trying to tell us how to do our job? You have plenty of time to suggest new concepts and ideas once you finally become an insider. 4. Do Not Get Involved in Cliques High school may be long over but cliques still thrive strong, even in the workplace. While these groups alienate some fellow co-workers by excluding them from lunches, happy hours and other non-work related activities, you want to steer clear from being a member of any clique. Your goal, on the other hand, is to strive to become what some refer to as a floaterâ€"someone who can bounce from clique-to-clique. You want to be friends with everyone not just one particular group of people. Besides, being too cliquey isnt a good idea anyway. Like the expression goes, you are who your friends are and you can be judged just by your association with a particular group. For example, if an employee is terminated and leaves in a rather hostile manner, you risk being labeled as hostile too. On a similar note, you always want to refrain from gossiping at all costs, no matter how tempting or how badly you need to vent. This is the fastest way for you to make enemies. Remember, you want to be like Switzerland: neutral. 5. Give Positive Feedback Lastly, its important that you support your co-workers and congratulate them whenever they accomplish something great. Its also equally as important that you give them credit whenever it is dueâ€"did your coworker help you do research for a project you boss recommended you for? Tell your boss you couldnt have done it without [insert name of co-worker here]. It will make your co-worker(s) feel appreciated and in-turn they should appreciate you as well. Your Turn What tips do you have for getting along with coworkers in a new environment?   Please share in the comments below. image courtesy of evz.ro