You can’t get very far in your career without taking new jobs, joining new organizations, transferring to new locations, and meeting and building relationships with new contacts. But surprisingly, many professionals stumble in these situations because they haven’t mastered three basic yet critical getting-to-know-you skills: introducing themselves, remembering names, and asking questions.
Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to get better at them. In this article, a Babson professor who has spent 20 years counseling executives and MBAs offers tactics that will help you navigate new situations more confidently. For instance, introductions tend to go more smoothly if you’ve practiced your opening lines—and you know how to make the other person feel valued. Names are easier to remember if you repeat and rehearse them and link them to vivid mental images. And you’re more likely to get the answers you need if you figure out the right person to approach—and the right time—and ask short, to-the-point questions. By paying attention and applying simple but practical strategies like these, you can set yourself up for success with new challenges.
Success almost always requires putting yourself into new situations. To further your career, you must take new jobs, join new organizations, transfer to new office locations, and meet and build relationships with new customers, suppliers, and industry peers.
