Are they embraced or ignored…

One of the biggest challenges and issues most managers face when a new employee (permanent or temporary) comes on board is how to make them feel welcomed into the group. I was thinking about this the other day when talking to a new client and it reminded me of a story that I thought you might enjoy.

There was a kid in the crowd when I was in Wisconsin on a trip and I could tell that he had to be new to the school. He was sitting a bit off from the crowd, wasn’t being included and while other kids were talking and having fun, he was smiling but not engaging. Sound familiar? This is what I hear and see from many managers when a new employee comes on board. Seeing this, I decided to single him out and bring him up on stage with me – we were going to do Yo-Yo tricks together.

So there we were – me and the new kid in town. I started to do some tricks and talk about how important it is for kids to look at themselves and see all the many things they were good at and could offer to others. Then I brought Joey into the picture and in a few short minutes, taught him how to do a few basic tricks and you could immediately see his confidence rise and the audience get excited. Before long, everyone was applauding him and joking and unbeknownst to them, they were accepting him into the group. When the tricks were done, they asked him to come sit in the middle of them – he was now accepted.

Is this any different than in a business setting? I don’t think so. If a manager creates an opportunity for the new person to join them and participate in some activity early on where they can shine and show more of who they are and that they know what they are doing, their ability to be accepted into the group grows rapidly and dramatically. Take the time in the beginning to do this and you will see that just like the Yo-Yo tricks, people will accept and engage and eliminate a big headache for management.