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Whenever I go into a company to conduct
my workshop on "Developing More Positive Working Relationships" the number one
complaint I always hear about is how awful their coworkers are. Everyone seems to have a
horror story, gripe or complaint about his or her colleagues. But one of the first things
I always ask is "How are you doing at being the kind of person someone wants to work
with?" I believe that life is an echo; you get
back what you send out. So whenever I hear of someone complaining about their rotten
coworkers I ask them to evaluate themselves according to the following criteria. Why don't
you rate yourself from 1-10 (with 10 being the best) on these strategies for getting along
better at work? Keep your word. Do you do what you
say you will do when you said you would do it? How often do you have people promise things
and then never deliver? You know, the data you need for that report to the relocation
manager at that big corporation, the information for a big presentation? A coworker's performance often depends on getting
the right information at the right time from you. Be sure to follow through. Refrain from gossip. Don't
criticize others or pass along information that may not be true. And if you are going to
make fun of someone, make sure it is you! Yes,
it is okay to tune in to the office grapevine, but be sure to determine the difference
between gossip and the grapevine. Be a friend. Are you sincerely interested in others and are you
a good listener? Remember that to have a friend you must be one. Be kind to people. You don't have to love or even like your
coworkers. But you can be kind to them. Never make a coworker look bad. That
is not your job. They'll make themselves look bad soon enough. You concentrate on doing an
outstanding job yourself and let everything else go. View everything you do from the other
side. You can never walk a mile in another person's shoes, but you can try. Just
because someone is not like you - they don't think or act like you - doesn't mean they are
wrong. Learn to appreciate the differences in
others. Don't try to impress others, let them
impress you. Nobody likes a braggart. Sure,
you want to toot your own horn occasionally; that will give you some visibility. But not
all the time. Remember that the greatest hunger that
people have is to be needed, wanted and loved. Help create those feelings in others.
Show appreciation when someone helps you. Do things to make people feel important. Give a compliment. Praise,
encourage, support and cooperate. Be enthusiastic and positive.
People like to work with positive people. Be positive as much as you can, even if you have
to "fake it 'til you make it." So how do you score? Work toward being a perfect "10" in all these areas and I predict you will encounter very few difficult coworkers. |
