Improve Your Work Relationships

 

Much of your workplace success is based not on what you do but who you know. The better your relationships with coworkers and others in your workplace, the better your career will go. Here are 7 simple steps to improving your relationships at work.

 

 

1) Make small talk: Get to know your coworkers so it does not always seem all about work. The key to making appropriate office small talk is to not get too personal too soon. Keep it general at first and then gradually work your way up to discussing family and more personal issues when your coworker is also moving in that direction of discussions. Also keep small talk at work limited (don’t go on and on) to respect everyone’s tight deadlines.

2) Help each other out: Show them that you are willing and able to help them out when they are under a tight deadline. Not only will they reciprocate for you, but they will begin to trust and depend on you.

3) Ask them for their thoughts and opinions: This is a great way to show them that you really value and respect them. People like those who they feel like them. Show them that you value their advice and feedback.

4) Get away from the office gossip: Even if you have resolved not too gossip about your coworkers, you can be guilty by association. When workplace gossip starts, excuse yourself. This will show people that you will not be involved in the gossip and that they can trust you.

5) Do little things like get them holiday cards or birthday cards, congratulate them on their good work, and offer to grab them some lunch when you are going out.

6) Let others take the credit when they have done most of the work. If you are incorrectly given credit and praise, acknowledge the coworker who deserves the accolades.

7) Handle workplace conflict seamlessly: If you are not directly involved in the conflict, stay out of it, at least initially. If you decide you must get involved, plan out some negotiation strategies ahead of time and facilitate the resolution of the conflict. The key is to show that you care, but without becoming rash or worked up.

These tips, while effective, may not work in every workplace and with every person. When in doubt, ask. Ask your coworkers how you can best help them. Most importantly, be sure to follow up and keep your word by doing what you say you’re going to do.

 

 

 

Categories: coworkers, gossip, improve, nbsp, nbsp nbsp, small talk, Success, work, Work Relationships, workplace

Boost Your Popularity at Work

 

Written by Jenny Catton

 

When it comes to the workplace, how popular do you think you are? Perhaps you’re the first person people turn to for advice. Or maybe you’re the one everyone relies on for the latest gossip. Or perhaps, you believe that being successful at work sometimes means being unpopular – particularly if you have to put yourself first in order to get ahead. But the truth is that if you can make good friendships in the workplace, work instantly becomes more enjoyable. And often the people who are well-liked and popular go on to be those who are promoted.

If you’d like to be more popular at work, where do you start? If you work for a large organisation, it can be particularly difficult to make friends. And if you’re relatively new, it can take time to build your popularity. However there are some things you can try to boost your popularity at work and form strong relationships with your colleagues. Here are some ideas:

 

Ask Questions
A great way to get to know people is by asking questions. If your workmates mention a particular hobby that they enjoy you can make a mental note to ask them how it’s going at a later date.

 

Avoid Gossip
It’s all too easy to get drawn into office gossip but not only is talking about your workmates behind their back unprofessional but being known as a gossip makes it difficult for your workmates to trust you. If you find office chats often turn to gossip, either try to change the subject or make an excuse to leave the conversation.

 

Offer Help
If you see a colleague is struggling with a particular task or is simply overwhelmed by their workload, offer to help. People will remember your kindness and will often return the favour in the future.

 

Bring Treats
If you’re looking for a speedy way to boost your popularity at work, bring goodies for your colleagues to share. It may sound superficial but sharing food has always been a way of showing people that you care and food really does bring people together. This is a great trick to try if you are shy as it doesn’t rely on you having to initiate conversations with all of your workmates. Simply bring in a homemade cake or shop-bought cookies for everyone to share and it provides a great reason for your colleagues to chat to you.

 

Stay Cheerful
Even if you’re busy or having a bad day, take the time to say good morning to your colleagues. And if you’re feeling stressed, don’t take it out on your workmates – chances are they are under pressure too so always greet people with a smile.

 

Be Sociable
Spending time with your colleagues outside of work hours is a great way to increase your popularity – particularly if work pressures mean you don’t always get the chance to chat in the office. Regularly accept invitations for after-work drinks or parties – or suggest your own after-hours activities. And if people invite you to join them for lunch, take them up on the offer. It’s a great opportunity to let your workmates get to know you better.

 

For advice on how to build your confidence at work, visit: www.skillsyouneed.com/

Categories: gossip, nbsp, people, work, workmates

Why Do We Love to Gossip?

Everyone loves a good chat with their neighbour or colleague, and women especially are always under fire for being prone to gossiping. But studies show that it might be more than just a personality trait – researchers claim that gossiping is very common behaviour and, although we always disapprove, around 60 percent of all conversations are about someone who isn’t present. Most of these conversations are passing judgement, meaning that more of us gossip than we first thought. Everyone knows that gossiping is wrong, but even though no-one wants to seem malicious we all continue to do it.

 

So what is it about this guilty pleasure that keeps us coming back for more? It’s thought by psychologists that gossip builds social bonds as it enables us to share our likes and dislikes, creating stronger bonds based on shared positives – even, it seems, if they involve other people. It’s a way of demonstrating your shared values and sense of humour with colleagues, neighbours or school friends, as well as adding to the thrill of transgression given that we’re supposed to be positive and friendly all the time. There are magazines devoted to the concept of gossiping about celebrities, for example, proving that our need for gossip is insatiable. When we talk about someone behind their back, we risk looking bad or unfriendly, so gossipers tend to need to trust those they’re talking to - this, in turn, leads to that person feeling inclined to share their own secrets and get in on the act. Anthropologists also claim that gossip is vital in the evolutionary development of our brains – we developed language because of the need to spread gossip, not the other way around. So gossip is something we find comes rather naturally to us.

 

Listening to gossip not only teaches you things about various people, but it also provides an insight into the place being discussed. For example, when you start a new job, gossip is an invaluable source for snippets of information about colleagues and the environment you’ll be working in. It also helps you settle in quickly because you know the way people work – for example, for some workplaces, making personal calls is banned whereas others are happy for you to phone your kids or take a personal call if you need to. Gossip also aids social climbing – it can be a way of fitting in, making friends and determining how much you can trust people. But where does the nasty element of gossip come from? Being mean and nasty develops at an early age, when children begin comparing themselves with others. Because children are forbidden from biting or being violent to one another, they turn to verbal violence as a way of separating into groups of popularity and devaluing others, either as a way of boosting self confidence or to climb the social ladder more quickly.

 

Naturally, gossip can be a risky activity and could end in failure if certain bits of information are put into the wrong hands. Gossip has landed people in difficulty with other people and has even cost people their jobs. It can also damage your reputation and lead to distrust among other people. But it does actually have a good side. We gossip when we feel like we’ve been mistreated, but once we’ve vented we can then rationalise the situation and put those energies into self development instead of mere gossip. When you reach this stage, gossip is no longer needed as a way of making yourself feel good by putting other people down.

Categories: gossip, gossiping, nbsp, people, Relationships, social, work