In an earlier article the 5 C’s that keep you going back to Work Everyday, I mentioned the importance of Camraderie in the workplace. Most of us spend a minimum of 40 hours a week at a workplace with other colleagues. You may not feel that way, but a workplace is like a second home and your colleagues are the people in that home.
Here are 5 tips to be the Co-worker that everyone loves:
Respect/Courteousness: This is the most obvious one but is often the most ignored as well. There is nothing more important to a human being than the basic respect he/she deserves. Always speak with respect to everyone. Do NOT play the title game and show respect only to people with a “higher worth” title. And by respect, I am referring to basic professional courtesy in the way you speak and interact with others without putting anyone down. A simple ‘hello’ or a smile is the least you can do when you see someone even when you are rushing from one meeting to another.
Add value: When you think you can help someone even without being asked, there is nothing wrong in offering your knowledge or time. Do the best you can when you are helping someone. Don’t be half-hearted in your attempt. Try to give more than a single word or sentence reply to someone’s question to add more value.
Inclusiveness: There may be people you get along with better than compared to others. But always extend and make everyone feel welcome. When there are group events at the workplace such as celebrating a coworkers birthday or a baby shower or an after work happy hour, extend the invitation to people who may have been left out. When new comers come on board, introduce them to people in the proximity of their cubicle in addition to folks on your team.
Appreciation via Recognition: Some people like to acknowledge others effort or time by giving them small tokens of appreciation – like cookies or flowers or cup cakes or coffee etc , all these are good. Due to difference in preferences, sometimes these may not be the best option. Alternatively, the least you should do when you want to thank someone for something that made a difference to you in the workplace is to genuinely appreciate what someone does with a handwritten note or recognition in front of their bosses.
There is no Me vs You – Remember all your colleagues are spokes of the same wheel. Sometimes work place drama can get to us and we begin to view others as being on a different team. The sense of you vs me creeps in and then it becomes a futile power play or a finger pointing exercise. What we fail to remember at that point is – we are all part of the same team (your organization) with the same goal in sight. We have to function like gears of the same clock to make the clock tick or to meet the goals of our organization. Wherever possible, remind yourself and colleagues about being part of the same team.
Are you the coworker that everyone loves? If so, what tips can you share?
Image Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/93963757@N05/8551937456/
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