In 2007, Chapman famously accused his Geelong teammates of being soft and selfish after their early-season loss to North Melbourne, sparking a turnaround that resulted in one of the greatest eras in AFL history.
However the three-time premiership player said he would be more circumspect at Essendon, at least until he has built relationships with the players.
He believes it would be best if he assessed the way the Bombers operate as individuals and as an organisation before coming to any conclusions.
"I think it would be silly of me not to do that," Chapman told SEN on Tuesday morning.
"I want to go in and meet people and see what works. Not everyone's the same, and not everyone takes things the same way.
"I'm definitely not going to go in there and throw the weight around or anything like that. First it's about getting in there and building respect. And they've got some great leaders in Jobe Watson.
"I'll be sitting back and obviously listening and learning, and learning the way that they play. Obviously if there's something that I see, it would be silly of me not to say that … first of all it's about building friendships and earning that trust and respect."
Chapman, who will turn 32 in November, played 251 games for Geelong. After being delisted by the Cats, he was traded to Essendon for draft pick 84.
Twitter: @AFL_BenCollins
