What to Do When You're New by Keith Rollag

Author:Keith Rollag
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780814434901
Publisher: AMACOM

“Is this a good time to ask a question?”

“Do you mind if I ask a question right now?”

“Got a minute to answer a question of mine, or should I come back later?”

This strategy gives the other person the choice to answer the question now or suggest a later time. Giving the person a sense of how long answering the question might take can also help them decide if and when to answer. For example, “I’m wondering if you can show me the proper format for this report. I think with five minutes of explanation I should be good to go.” Either way, you can lessen the potential cost of the imposition by giving the other person some control over the size and scope of the interruption.

Three Words that Make Asking Any Question Easier

When it comes to asking strangers questions, recognize that you have a secret weapon that will make others:

• More willing to interrupt what they are doing and help you.

• Less inclined to think badly of you for asking a “dumb” question.

• Forgive your initial mistakes and blunders.

It’s called being new.

Here’s a little test: Pretend that you’re working, and an unfamiliar person comes up to you and says the following: “Hi, my name is Sarah. Do you know where we keep the office supplies?” How would you react?

Now imagine she says: “Hi, my name is Sarah. I’m new here; this is my first day in the office. Do you know where we keep the office supplies?”

See the difference? By prefacing your question with some variant of the phrase “I’m new here,” you do several things. You often reduce the social risk of interrupting someone by helping the person view your intrusion as the action of a newcomer. Most people not only expect newcomers to ask questions, but they also recognize that new people won’t automatically know any special norms the group might have about when and where it’s appropriate to ask questions. Instead of seeing you as an annoying interrupter, the person will just see you as new.

Using the “I’m new here” strategy also ensures that the person will also evaluate your question in the context of your newness. What may seem like a dumb question from someone who’s been there a while is often seen as perfectly reasonable from a newcomer. It also helps ensure the answer is appropriate to your newcomer status. People often provide a more comprehensive, detailed response if they know you are completely new to a situation.

Finally, many groups and organizations have social norms encouraging members to be welcoming and supportive of newcomers. Declaring your newness right away may trigger that helping response. Depending on the situation, there are many ways to phrase this, including:

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