When was the last time you were the new person in the room?
New job? New school? New club?
For many of us, as we get established in our career and networks, it doesn’t happen nearly as often as it used to.
I was one of the new people last week at an event in Croatia called Synergy – The Retreat Show. It was a good reminder of what it feels like to be new. Here’s what I left with.
If you are new:
- You bring a fresh perspective that doesn’t last long. Leverage it. When I was in my first job, a seasoned colleague encouraged me to use the first six months to ask all the questions that wouldn’t occur to me after that. It was good advice. Ask your questions.
- Remember you are likely not the only new person, even though it can feel like everyone else knows what they’re doing. They don’t. At this event, roughly half of the participants were new. I wasn’t alone.
- Savour it. What a privilege to experience something brand new!
If you are not one of the newbies:
- Design for the new people. Consider how the event will feel from their perspective, especially if they are attending alone. An opening cocktail party, for example, can be an awkward way to find your way in.
- Be aware that you’ve likely stopped noticing things. “That’s just the way we do things around here” does not need to be spoken aloud to have a powerful hold on an event or workplace.
- Seek out the new people. Not just to be friendly, but also to ask them what they are noticing. They likely have questions and observations but nowhere to put them. Offering a container for those is helpful to you both.
These tips are obviously not only true for a conference — how might you apply them in whatever context you’re in this week?
