Career development
Introduce your work to a new team
Tell the new team what your group does in a sentence or two, what you depend on from them, what they can expect from you and who to contact for each. Skip the organizational history unless it changes how they work with you.
A text to start with
I need to introduce my team, [team name], to [new team]. We [what we do]. We depend on [inputs or services from them]. We provide [outputs or services to them]. People can reach us through [contact routes]. Write a short introduction in plain language. List any acronyms or internal terms I use so I can explain or replace them.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Team introduction worksheet
My team: [ ] Team I am writing to: [ ] What we do: [ ] What we need from you: [ ] In what form and by when: [ ] What we provide to you: [ ] In what form and how often: [ ] Work people assume we own but we do not: [ ] Where to send those requests: [ ] Best contact for routine questions: [ ] Best contact for urgent issues: [ ] How quickly we usually respond: [ ] Acronyms to define or remove: [ ] Agreed next step with the new team: [ ]
Hidden jargon and unclear ownership
Internal acronyms and nicknames for systems make sense to you and mean nothing to a newcomer, so spell them out or drop them. Check each handoff for who sends what, in which form, and who receives it. Do not describe work your team does not own, even when people often ask you about it. State what is not your job and where to send those requests. Confirm the contact routes are monitored and that the named people agree to be listed.
Ask another agent to check the result
Read this introduction as someone from the new team. Identify acronyms and internal terms they would not know, handoffs where the sender or receiver is unclear, and any responsibility described that my team does not actually own.
Share it and invite correction
Send the introduction to one person on the other team first and ask which parts were unclear. Add their questions to the text. Post the final version where both teams can find it, and note the date so it can be refreshed. Offer a short call for questions, and follow up on anything either side promised in the first conversation.