7 ways to get on better with your co-workers
There are so many ways to be a good leader, coach a football team, teach a class, or manage staff at work.
But if you’ve got one person bringing bad vibes, the whole team can suffer as a result – and that’s not good news. Luckily, with a little direction everyone can change and adapt to new ways at work.
We’ve compiled seven tips to help you lead by example and get on with the people around you, no matter where you work.
Take responsibility
It’s normal for us to try and avoid accountability from time to time. In a work environment, you can point the finger at your direct reports when something goes wrong or realize that you are ultimately responsible for results caused by each team member. If people don’t meet the company’s performance or expectations, it’s up to the manager to give feedback and change the situation.
Cut out the gossip
Even for the most disciplined person, gossip can be pretty tempting. It’s easy to slip into background conversations and generalizations in the office. Things get miscommunicated and can be taken up the wrong way. A better option is to express your concerns to your co-workers as they arise. Clarity in communication is what helps drive action – leading to results.
Act promptly
Why not do today what you could do tomorrow? Putting things off and letting them fester is a bad idea. Especially when you could do the task right away and in a short amount of time. So, don’t be lazy and get on it. Individuals who excel at work and in life often dive into tasks with tact and speed, as they know it’s better to deal with situations as they arise rather than let them build up.
Look out for talent
As a member of a team or manager, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye out for new and existing talent. This can be an internal player or an outside candidate so that if a space becomes available you won’t have to wait forever to fill it up. The goal of a strong people pipeline is that you have people ready to step into any role on your team at any given time. Invest in staying ahead of the game.
Write it down
If there’s no written record of your teams’ goals or performance expectations how can anyone be held accountable to them? “They should know by now” is not something that a team leader says when all communication is noted and everyone has a reference. Set, note, and share clear goals with your team members to show how their activities relate to the overall company or group strategy.
Share workloads
If everyone has meaningful work assigned to them they’re happy to get working on it and help contribute to the group or company goal. That could be winning a football match or signing up new sales clients. When the wrong work is assigned to the wrong individual then often the task doesn’t get done as it should. When you notice that your colleague is under pressure with a hefty workload why not step in and offer to help. It’s important to support your team to support the overall company success.
Create a balance
Nobody likes to go into work and be stressed out by a co-worker or manager who’s having a bad day. You set the unspoken rule of how you take care of yourself while work, socially and at home. When you eat well, you are relaxed and calm at work your mood radiates to those around you. So, when you’re full of positivity and creativity it will work wonders for the overall success of your group. It’s good to set the standard of how to manage your energy well, especially if you’re a manager.
Matt Corker is the co-founder of The Corker Co – a people consultancy in Vancouver. The Corker Co is dedicated to crafting people strategies that put the heartbeat into the bottom line of businesses. This work is inspired by the Manager Start Line program.
