Plays (Works) Well with Others
What makes a GREAT team member? Who do you go to for help? Who does your manager want to hire to be a great addition to the team? It takes more than tech savvy, a great addition to a team has a sense of the people that are in the group, maintains a sense of humor, displays politeness, and checks in with status and offers to help.
- It takes more than technical competence to be successful in your career
- You need to be able to work well with others
- Good people skills are crucial… especially in today’s virtual workplace
Hints: Work is not the same as play (yes I know, it might look that way from the title).
- Don’t allow personal conversations to interfere with work performance – yours or others
- TMI! Don’t over-share your personal information – maintain a level of privacy
- Guard your reputation, just as if you were a “brand” make sure that you never do anything that could be perceived as unethical or questionable
- Value diversity and treat everyone with respect
- Consider other people’s feelings and treat others as you’d like to be treated. Mom was right!
- Avoid these subjects at work: Sex, Politics, Salary, Health problems, Family problems, and Religion. I used to work in a company where discussing salary was forbidden and grounds for disciplinary action. It was harsh, but we never had the grinding, horrid discussions about “I’ve been here longer and he makes $$ more than me.” In a way, it was a relief.