How to start a relationship with a colleague in another department
A practical approach for opening a first conversation with someone outside your team, without overstepping their time or role.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Reference the shared project or company context that connects you, ask a specific and time-bound question, and let the other person decide how much further contact they want.
Open with the work you already share
According to the Harvard FAS guide to building a network, useful early steps include setting an intention before reaching out and sharing a relevant resource. Ping suggests borrowing that structure for a colleague in another department: name the shared project or company initiative first, then ask one narrow question tied to their expertise, so the message reads as work-related rather than a general request to connect.
Fictional example: a new operations hire notices that a designer in another department recently shipped a feature she relies on daily. Rather than requesting a generic coffee chat, she sends a two-line note naming the feature, asking one specific question about a workflow choice, and stating she does not need a reply before next week. The narrow scope makes it easy for the designer to say yes or postpone without guilt.
Protect their calendar before you ask for more
UC Berkeley's Career Engagement guidance on informational conversations notes that respecting someone's time means limiting a meeting to the agreed-upon timeframe. Ping's editorial checklist applies the same idea across departments: propose a short, specific slot, state the topic in the invite itself, and end the conversation on schedule even if it feels unfinished, leaving the option to continue open rather than assumed.
Fictional example: an engineer schedules a fifteen-minute call with someone in finance, sends the single question in advance, and closes the call at the fifteen-minute mark with a short thank-you. If the finance colleague wants to keep talking, she can suggest that herself; the initial contact does not obligate a recurring meeting or a shared project.
Sources: UC Berkeley Career Engagement: Informational Interviews
Offer a low-pressure way to trade contact details
According to Ping's product page, the Ping Ring opens a public profile that lets the person you meet decide what, if anything, to share back, instead of pushing your contact card onto their device. Our editorial suggestion is to let that first cross-department conversation end with the profile exchange itself, rather than an immediate calendar invite or recurring meeting proposal.
Ping suggests treating any 'let's grab coffee weekly' idea as something the colleague proposes later, once they have had time to decide the relationship is worth that investment. A single respectful first contact, tied to real shared work, tends to hold up better than a broad ask for ongoing mentorship or friendship from day one.
Sources and editorial notes
Reviewed September 20, 2026. This piece frames shared employer context, rather than personal rapport, as the opening line, and separates the first message from any request for a recurring check-in.