Birkman Fit Series: Fitting into the Team

Welcome to Your Team!

We've all experienced it.

The excitement of accepting a new position...followed by that first morning when we walk through the front door wondering:

"Where do I fit?"

The interview is over.

The offer has been accepted.

The paperwork is signed.

Now comes the real work—not simply learning the job but learning the people.

If you've already explored your own Birkman results and discussed your supervisor's style, you've been given a tremendous head start.

Now it's time to learn your team.

1. Listen before trying to improve everything.

Every organization has unwritten rules.

Who really solves problems?

Who influences decisions?

How are disagreements handled?

How does information actually flow within the team and to the supervisor?

Spend the first few weeks learning before suggesting major changes.

Curiosity earns credibility.

2. Remember that your teammates didn't hire you...

...but they will decide whether they trust you.

Trust isn't built by showing everyone how talented you are.

It's built through consistency.

Do what you promised.

Show up prepared.

Follow through. 

Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know.

Appreciate support from those already there.  Let them know.

3. Observe before you judge.

Every team has habits that seem odd from the outside.

Some exist for good reasons.

Some are simply traditions.

Learn the difference before deciding something "needs fixing.”

4. Learn everyone's communication style.

One coworker wants details.

Another wants the executive summary.

One likes to process ideas out loud.

Another needs time to think.

Birkman reminds us that differences aren't obstacles.

They're simply preferences.

The sooner we recognize those preferences, the fewer misunderstandings we'll create.

5. Understand everyone's role.

One of the fastest ways to gain respect is to appreciate what other people contribute.

Spend time asking questions.

"What part of your work do you enjoy most?"

"What challenges do you run into?"

"What can I do to make work easier for you?"

Those conversations build bridges much faster than talking about yourself.

6. Don't confuse speed with success.

Many new employees feel pressure to prove themselves immediately.

Sometimes the most impressive thing you can do is ask thoughtful questions.

Learning well often creates better long-term performance than moving quickly.

7. Find ways to make someone else's job easier.

Every team member quietly asks one question:

"Is this person going to make my life easier...or harder?"

Become known as someone who helps.

Those reputations spread surprisingly fast.

8. Be yourself—but be your best self.

Birkman never asks us to become someone else.

It simply helps us understand when our strengths shine...

and when stress might cause us to overuse them.

Self-awareness becomes one of the greatest gifts you can give a team.  And yourself.

Remember:

The hiring process isn't the finish line.

It's the starting line.

Every day, trust is built one conversation...one commitment...one act of reliability at a time.

Your Birkman report helped you understand yourself.

Learning your supervisor helped you understand your leader.

Now comes perhaps the most rewarding step of all—

learning how to help your entire team succeed.

Because the best employees don't simply fit the job.

They strengthen the people around them.

And lastly,:

The interview got you hired.  Your daily choices keep you employed.

A few "Patti-isms"

• "Leave your business card at home. Bring your curiosity instead."

• "Earn the right to recommend change."

• "Every team has a rhythm. Learn it before trying to conduct the orchestra."

• "Be known as someone who makes work easier, not louder."

• "Relationships are built in ordinary Tuesdays—not extraordinary Fridays."

• "The interview got you hired. Your daily choices keep you employed."

• "Teams don't expect perfection. They value reliability."

• "Every coworker has a Need. Discover it before you accidentally step on it."