There are very few environments that you will work in during your lifetime that will not involve having to work with others in order to succeed at your job or project. This is why one of the most important skills that you can develop in order to succeed at your job is how to properly communicate with and treat the people you work with.
Two of the most important elements to a satisfying job environment is that employees and management alike feel respected and appreciated by those below and above them on the pay scale. You will find a much higher percentage of employees who will intrinsically desire to help a company in which they are treated like an important and appreciated part succeed. While showing employees that they are valued is a quality that needs to start at the top and work its way down, those same principles are the ones that are going to help you succeed in managing the people around you so that everyone can succeed.
Managing People
If you’ve ever heard the expression that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, then this is a good place to start. Think about people with or for whom you have worked in the past who were really good at their job and moved forward without leaving a mess of disgruntled co-workers in their wake. More than likely, they had good people-managing skills and were strong communicators.
The first step to getting people on your team is pulling your own weight. Others are much more apt to help you out if they recognize you as a strong team member who simply could use a hand. If you are constantly doing a half-assed job and expecting others to clean up your messes, then no matter how charming you are, the help will dry up.
Your next strategy is to treat all people, no matter where they fit in the professional hierarchy, with the same measure of respect. This means that you recognize the efforts of people in the mailroom or on the custodial staff just as much as people working directly with you. You never know when or how you are going to need anyone who works for the company, so it pays to give everyone the same measure of respect and appreciation. This is good politics, and it helps foster a more positive environment at work.
Sometimes it is difficult to strike a balance between being truly appreciative and just being phony in order to suck up to people. The way to combat this is to actually be genuine. Don’t be patronizing. If you don’t appreciate that someone is doing their best for you, don’t gush about it. At the same time, appreciating what a person has done should be genuine. Even if it is “just part of their job,” if a person has worked to help make your job easier, you should thank them for their efforts, and let them know specifically how they helped you if you can. For instance, if an admin assistant took care of couriering some papers for you, thank them and let them know that taking that responsibility off your shoulders helped you concentrate on job B, and you appreciate their help. You recognition—which doesn’t cost you a thing—will show them that work done for you is not taken for granted.
Of course, it is easy to be appreciative and good to people when they are doing their work and pulling their weight. The real test of your respect for someone is when they mess up. It is also a measure of how they are going to react when you mess up. If someone else makes a mistake, see it for what it is. If it was unforeseeable, don’t blame them just because you are angry or frustrated. Sometimes mistakes are no one’s fault. If a co-worker screws up, forgive them for it and concentrate on finding a solution with them. Laying blame and being angry is completely counterproductive to actually getting the job done.
This will not only expedite fixing an error, it will hopefully model behaviour that you will receive on the outside chance you ever make a mistake. If you model forgiving, proactive behaviour, then you can hope that it is recognized for its effectiveness and you are given the same consideration. If you make an error, take responsibility and have a solution ready to put into motion. Likely, those who you’ve helped out of jams will return the favour.
When you need help out of a jam with a project, or simply need some support on part of it, the best way to ensure that there will be someone there to lend you a hand is my making it a practice of yours to do favours for others. If someone is struggling, ask if there is any way that you can help out. Remember to only offer if you are actually in a position to help, and beware of people who ask you for too many favours. You don’t want to be an ineffective co-worker’s crutch, nor do you want to enable lazy or ineffective behaviour.
One of the biggest enemies of helpful communication and team work is the human ego. Egos flare up when we feel we are underappreciated or do not feel respected. The difference between someone who is assertive and someone who is aggressive is the level to which one’s actions are rules by ego and pride. It is important for you to respect yourself and not be taken advantage of or treated like a sucker. On the other hand, the ego can stand in the way of smooth interpersonal relationships more than almost anything. We have all worked with someone whose control over a small but crucial part of the business is the bane of every employee’s experience because their self-worth is based on controlling everyone’s access and maintaining some sort of power.
The ego is important in that it protects us from being mistreated, but misused, it is your biggest enemy in successfully working with the people around you. Nothing builds walls between you and co-workers faster than a sense that your position is any more important than anyone else’s. When it comes to getting a job done as efficiently and successfully as possible, it requires everyone in the office to give as much as they can to the project. When there is a baseline of respect and appreciation, not only do things get done better and faster, people are more intrinsically invested in the outcome. If you care about the feelings of the people that surround you, they will be more apt to care about making your life a little easier when they can.
