INTEGRATION INTO NEW BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

1

• INTEGRATION INTO NEW BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
• About one-quarter of all new hires won't make it
  through their first year. Almost half - 46 - of
  rookies wash out in the first 18 months, found
  Leadership IQ, a training firm that studied
  20,000 newly hired employees over three years.
• These dire numbers don't just apply to the lowly
  rank and file. In fact, other studies suggest
  that the higher up in an organization you climb,
  the more likely you are to fail. Indeed, 53 of
  managers and executives brought on board from
  outside are gone within a year.
• IN YOUR OPINION, WHY DO SO MANY NEW HIRES WASH
  OUT IN THEIR FIRST YEAR?

2

• Name at least 5 problems that are most likely to
  occur when you come to a new business
  environment.
• Try to find the best solutions.

3

• Here are some tips for good integration
• Talk 20 percent and listen 80 percent. And avoid
  those who talk 100 percent.
• Smile. A lot. Even when you feel like frowning.
• If someone is confrontational with you, avoid the
  confrontation. Take time to cool off before you
  respond.
• Look for solutions, not problems. Anyone can
  identify problems.
• But none of the previously mentioned tips is as
  important as the famous first impression.

4

• They say 'You never get a second chance to make a
  first impression.' Read the text and discuss
  anything you agree or disagree with.
• First impressions
• Creating a positive first impression is essential
  in a competitive job market. Most of us recognise
  that when we meet people for the first time we
  make all sorts of judgements about them,
  consciously or
• subconsciously - how successful they are, how
  capable, how credible, how creative, how sharp,
  how professional, and so on.
• In fact, studies in this area show that we judge
  people within five seconds of meeting them, and
  then add another 50 to that judgement in the
  subsequent five seconds. Staggeringly, it can
  then take another twenty experiences with that
  person to change our initial impression.

5

• Have you ever
• a felt an instant rapport with someone you've
  only just met?
• b taken an immediate dislike to someone you've
  just been introduced.
• c misjudged someone by taking too much notice of
  the way they look sounded?

6

• Match the nouns and noun phrases in the box to
  the adjectives below to the things we usually
  notice about someone on first meeting them.
• voice sense of humour clothes
  handshake laugh manner
• a. firm/limp/aggressive
• b. casual/shabby/smart/ designer/expensive-looki
  ng
• c. high-pitched/irritating/sexy/pleasant-sounding
  / soft/deep
• d. authoritative/confident/relaxed/cold/hostile/a
  brasive
• e. good/ great/no/ dry/weird
• f. great/loud/infectious/annoying/nervous

7

• Are you an effective networker?
• talk catch relax let look
  say hover wait
  moan bitch crack break
• You meet a group of business people for the first
  time. Do you
• a ____them in the eye, smile and ____hello?
• b ____in the background and ____to be introduced?
  
• c ____a joke to______the ice?
• 2 You meet up with some colleagues after work. Do
  you
• a ____shop and ______up on all the latest gossip?
  
• b ____about work and ______about the boss?
• c ____and _____your hair down?

8

• introduce slip feel mingle
  make escape
• try draw persevere find stick
  ignore
• 3 You meet a fascinating person at a cocktail
  party. Do you
• a _____to them like glue and ______everyone else?
  
• b _____and _____other people into the
  conversation?
• c _____obliged to go and _____with other people?
• 4 You're stuck with a bore at a conference. Do
  you
• a ____in the hope you'll _____something in
  common?
• b ____some kind of excuse and _____?
• c ____them to someone else and _____away?

9

• exchange get get mention
  go make
• cut get give keep
  look pretend
• 5 You see someone you don't get on with at a
  function. Do you
• a _____the other way and ____you haven't seen
  them?
• b _____over and _____the effort to speak to them?
  
• c _____them a polite nod, but _____your distance?
  
• 6 You're introduced to a potential client. Time
  is short. Do you
• a _____the preliminaries and _____straight to the
  point
• b _____to know them a bit before you
  _____business?
• c ____business cards and say you'II ____back to
  them?