By Joan Marques ·
August 7, 2003
Although every work
environment has its own peculiarities and, therefore, its own unique approach
requirements, there may still be some general points to ponder in every
setting. These points, based on positive organizational behavior, have proven
to work through times, cultures, and work environments. They may do it for you
too!
1. Be friendly and helpful to superiors, peers,
and subordinates alike, but don’t overdo it. This approach calls for two
clarifications:
a. First: Some people only
hang out with those individuals at work that they consider valuable to their
career progress. They thereby forget that there is a way up and one down, and
that one never knows who will cross his or her path on a rainy day. Being
friendly toward everybody you come cross -colleagues and customers alike- is
really not an altruistic mentality, because it will deliver its pay off on the
long term: when you least expect it.
b. Second: Some people are so
excessively friendly and nice that the insincerity drips from all sides of
their attitude. This may have a reverse effect on what they actually want to
obtain: being liked by everybody. The reason is simple: Most people can easily
see through hypocritical behavior. They will lose their trust in you and
consider you to be a person to be careful with.
2. Stay alert. Try to distinguish the simple
stuff from the important, and make sure you keep documentation on every issue
that may come back to haunt you later. The friendly people you work with today
may be gone tomorrow, and so will be their goodwill, then. It is therefore
imperative to make sure that you keep appointments, agreements, and important
decisions documented as securely as possible.
3. Analyze. It is especially important with
regards to the people you work with to know where you really stand. Consider
the possibility of running across some colleagues with a point 1a-mentality:
hypocritical. You should always know what you can say, and where. This brings
to mind a quote I read long ago: “To keep your lips from slips; five things
observe with care: To whom you speak; Of whom you speak; and How, and When, and
Where.” There is no setting where this applies better than the work
environment.
4. Socialize. You don’t have to attend every
get-together with co-workers outside work, but now and then it may be
appropriate to show your face. Getting to know people outside of the work
setting, and allowing them to get to know you may enhance the mutual feelings
of trust and connection.
5. Sharpen your creative skills. Don’t slack away
in a routine of daily tasks, but keep wondering how you would be able to enhance
current processes in such a way that as many people as possible will benefit
from your suggestions. Above all: make sure that when you come up with these
suggestions, you have thought them through in detail, listed their pro’s and
cons, and most importantly, explained how they will serve co-workers as well as
the organization in total.
6. Don’t get discouraged. When an idea that you
know to be valuable does not get accepted, there may be more behind the decline
than you may see from your point of view. You can either keep your idea in the
drawer for a while and apply point 3 above: analyzing the possible reasons for
the decline; or you may modify your proposal in a way that it better pleases
the ones who criticized it in the first place, yet without being detrimental to
its applicability.
7. Remember the ones who have been good to you.
Too often we have a propensity to forget the good that has been done to us once
we said our thank you’s. But imagine how good it will feel to the ones that
awarded you at one time, when they find that you have not discarded the memory
of their good deed, even when they themselves did! And imagine how great it
would feel if this would be done to you when you did something good to someone!
8. Involve others. If you are the one in a
decision making position, you should still consider the tremendous importance
of the 4p’s as I once read them in a management book by Bridges: Tell them the
Purpose, share with them the Plan; keep them updated on the Progress; and most
importantly: give them a Part To Play. That’s the guarantee for success in any
project. At another level, involving others is vital when you are confronted
with an issue of which you are not sure what to do with it. Remember: you only
have your perception. A remark made to- or about you, or a decision taken might
not have been meant the way you took it. Before jumping to conclusions and
undertaking harsh actions, run the issue by some people in the organization you
trust. They may enlighten you.
9. Develop your own style in dealing with others.
It’s good to apply some of the good things you see in the approach of
colleagues; but don’t be a mindless copycat. You have your own personality, and
thus, your own personal leadership style. Besides, it’s easy for anyone you deal
with to detect whether you sincerely believe in your approach, or whether you
are just forcing yourself in a pattern that is not yours at all.
10. Don’t disparage any task performed by anybody.
Rather: be ready to assist when and where you can, no matter how prestigious
your own position. It’s this one unforgettable flexibility trait that will win
others’ hearts for you. They will realize that you respect their contribution
to the organization, feel motivated toward what they are doing, and stand up
for you whenever you need that. After all, one never knows.
By Joan Marques
By Joan Marques