Remember how badly you wanted someone to wave you over on your first day. Next year, be the one who waves.

You already know what that moment feels like from the inside, standing with a tray and no idea where to go. The memory is useful rather than only uncomfortable, because it tells you precisely what would have helped. A wave costs the person giving it almost nothing and lands enormously.

Watch for somebody standing alone in the first week of anything: a class, a team, a shift. Say the simple thing, that there is space here, then carry on with your conversation so they are not on display. Doing it once makes the second time much easier.