Making Friends with Coworkers at Your New Office

Being the new girl in the office can make it a bit difficult to form relationships with your coworkers. On one hand, you know to relax because it will happen eventually. On the other, you’re dying to make friends ASAP so you can have someone to lunch with, someone to grab a latte with and someone who makes a better place to be. Here are a few tips to help you befriend your coworkers in no time.

Take it Slow

Pushing yourself into office cliques can be a bad idea. Allowing yourself to integrate naturally is a much better choice. Don’t be pushy. Be friendly and open, but don’t try to incorporate yourself into office jokes and friendships too quickly. You’ll come across as a creepy stalker rather than someone who simply wants to befriend her coworkers.

Be Interested

When you have a few minutes alone with coworkers in the break room or after a meeting, spend time conversing. When you are genuinely interested in what they have to say. Listen to their stories and ask engaging questions that show you are interested and want to talk about them. People love to talk about themselves and their accomplishments. Let this happen and your coworkers will begin to welcome you into the fold.

Create an Invitation

Sometimes you have to make the first move. Ask a few coworkers if there are any particularly great places near the office you can grab a cup of coffee or an after work cocktail and then invite them to join you. It’s hard to say no to a cocktail or a cup of coffee, and it might just be your easy way in. Once you get to know your coworkers a little better, chances are good that they will start to issue invitations to you.