One of my favorite parts of high school was our lunch and “flex”, think recess for high schoolers. My friends and I would sit at the same table, in the same spots, everyday. Discussions ranged from our current crushes (about 80% of the conversation) to our latest athletic accomplishment, and how it was unequivocally better than anything else anyone at the table had accomplished.
Many of you had a lunch table of your own. This table is where some of our best friendships were formed. Trying to replicate that experience in each new environment, building relationships through consistency and familiarity, can be tempting. Developing relationships with those that you work closely with is important, but will often occur naturally. The more difficult relationships to form are with your colleagues that work in other departments.
As more and more companies are starting to put a focus on this you will be exposed to interdepartmental meetings early in your career. As many of us know a common flaw of meetings is the group straying off topic, and while this can be frustrating I try to use it as an opportunity to listen for shared interest with your colleagues that work in other areas. I am an avid reader and I have found that an avenue to endless conversation is a book that two persons have both enjoyed. I have relationships with colleagues in the engineering, sales, marketing and analytics departments that involves us lending each other books, on any and all subjects but my personal favorite are fantasy novels, and reviewing the content over a bite to eat.
These relationships have not only allowed me to expand my personal library and experiences, but they have also led to being a more productive employee and additional career opportunities. One of the reasons I am a key team member on many of my projects is my ability to bring in resources through my fellow readers that may be lacking on our team.
Your colleagues will undoubtedly need your expertise on projects they are working on, favors work both ways, but these instances double as a chance to assist your friend and expose your talents to other project teams and department heads.
Push yourself to find common interests with those outside of your department or team. Make the added effort to connect with those colleagues and you will not only gain a valuable contact, you may find your new favorite book!
Name: Adam
Title: Team Member
Industry: Industrial Manufacturing
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Photo by Sebas Ribas on Unsplash
