It is important to break the ice with co-workers. When you have a good rapport with your colleagues, your days starts getting exciting. The thought of going to office will no longer bug you in the mornings when you wake up it will rather be something that will drive you to go to the office and will make you look forward to another exciting day.
Below are a few tips to break ice with co-workers
Spend time with them during your breaks
It is found that brain works better in diffused mode than in a focused mode so take breaks. The best way to spend your breaks is to spend it trying to bond with your co-workers it’s the best way to recharge your mind. Now you can’t do this if you are a workaholic who is too busy to make friends at the office, mingle with people and if you want to bond with people it is necessary to spend time with them. So try spending your breaks with people around you.
Catch up with them by the coffee machine
Meeting people and trying to strike a conversation when they are busy might annoy them. The best place to strike a conversation is by the coffee machine. It’s always good to be humorous but if you’re not don’t worry there will always be a someone who cracks jokes in the group all you have to do is laugh at the jokes. Avoid talking about work and try talking about light topics that can act as stress busters. For Example, you can find a common movie or comedy series that everyone has watched and liked and talk about the best part of the movie or the series. This is a good way to break the ice with co-workers.
Learn to listen, if you’re not interested at least act like you are interested in listening.
This trick always works! We all love to be heard. We like it when someone is willing to listen to us and gives us attention. This is exactly why this trick works, but only this time, you should be the listener, especially if you are new to the team and want to make friends. Actively listen and read between the lines keep the conversations going, even if you don’t like the conversation just act like you are listening, but you can only pull this trick if you can act well!
Ask questions and give your ideas to break the ice with co-workers
People are always working on projects either in professional or personal life. Get them to talk about the problems and hurdles they are facing, if you happen to have information related to how the problems can be solved share the information. Give your suggestions and ideas, when you show interest in what people are working on and share your finding that tells the other person that you appreciate them.
Get them goodies to eat
Don’t know if this will work for everyone and every circumstance but it has always worked in the office that I work in. In my opinion, this is a way to show people you care and you have taken a step towards having a good relationship at the office. Lunchtime and tea breaks are the times when bonding between teams members really take place so getting goodies has always worked in my workplace.
Be someone you would want to be friends with
When things are going your way, you are upset about not getting the promotion, and to top it all you spill coffee over your shirt and just then if your subordinate does a mistake, take a deep breath before you let out your anger and frustration on him or her. Ask yourself! If you saw a grumpy person, would you like to be friends with him or her? Always keep calm and try to be someone you would approve of to be friends with, being calm and takings things as they come is the most important thing for both professional and personal life.
Find a common ground
This is the best way to break the ice with co-workers. Building rapport will help you have a smooth work relationship. One best way to build rapport is to find a common ground. Find what you have common with your colleagues and spark conversations based on that and it will help build a good rapport.
While I was writing this blog I just realized how well we have managed to bond in our workplace (@Webdefy). They say, man is a social animal, well they did say that for a reason, having a good relationship with people in office is the reason why I don’t wake up in the mornings cribbing about having to go to the office, rather I actually look forward to an another amazing day at the office. Learn ho to break the ice with co-workers, build good relationships and see things improve at your workplace!
Leave a Comment