Peace on earth; goodwill toward men (and women) – great wishes for the New Year. The truth is, I’d be happy with peace at work. My New Year’s resolution is to get along better with my coworkers and I could sure use a few good ideas for how I can make that happen.
It’s terrific that you’re focusing on what you can do to improve your working relationships. Borrowing from the lyrics of a popular peace hymn, a great theme song to go along with your New Year’s resolution could be “Let there be peace at work and let it begin with me.” Choose even just one of the following tips to work on next year and you’re sure to accomplish your goal.
Accept people for who they are – imperfect human beings who, for the most part, are trying to do the best they can. When people feel accepted they can stop trying to prove themselves and concentrate on improving themselves. According to Martin Luther King, Jr. “The art of acceptance is the art of making someone who has just done you a small favor wish that he might have done you a greater one.”
Listen more than you talk. When you listen you may learn something you don’t already know and, in the meantime, you’ve given the message that you truly value the people with whom you work.
Give - your time, your experience, your support, your expertise, your help. Albert Schweitzer said it best – “You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it's a little thing, do something for others - something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it.”
Work with people. Save the competition for your company’s competitors. Focus on what you can do together. Working together often leads to more creative solutions than anyone might have thought of individually.
Give people the benefit of the doubt - rather than jumping to the conclusion that your coworkers are lazy, irresponsible, stupid, unfriendly, unkind, etc. - when something goes wrong. Ask questions with a spirit of inquiry rather than using the judgmental approach.
Save it for the big ones. Take the advice of author Richard Carlson and “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” That means no nitpicking, complaining, or making mountains out of molehills. And when you do encounter a problem worth addressing, use a constructive approach.
Resolve to improve your working relationships in 2009 and make it a great year!
