careernav.

By Anne Parker

Interact positively and effectively with others

In most work places you have to work co-operatively as part of a team and this requires getting along with all types. It doesn’t seem hard and hopefully it won’t be but there will be times and situations that will push you to the limit and make you want to explode or quit or both.

Schoolroom antics

Think about what it’s like being in a class that’s out of control. Paper planes zooming around the room, spit balls being fired whilst the teacher has their back to the class It was such a hoot wasn’t it? You may recall one kid in particular who made a career out of disrupting classes and sending the teachers crazy with their back chat and ceaseless talking while the class was supposed to be working or listening to the teacher or a student give a presentation. Sadly there is often one kid who delights in teasing the weakest or most different student causing much misery to the poor hapless victim. Maybe that class clown was you??

Now think: how productive were those classes? How much learning time was wasted? How did the teachers behave towards the class and the ones causing the disruption? Did peer pressure play a part in the class behaving like a bunch of lunatics. Were there any kids who didn’t get caught up in the mayhem? How were they treated by the “cool kids” causing the trouble?

It’s on the cards that not much learning took place the teacher got frustrated and sent the trouble makers packing and/or the class was punished in some way. Kids who normally are well behaved got caught up in the atmosphere or were pressured and those who didn’t succumb were ridiculed by the ratbags.

Does this sort of thing go on in the workplace? Surely not.

Workplace antics

A more subtle form of it can and you need to be aware of it and the consequences. There are those who will pressure you to do the wrong thing.  “Let’s skip the meeting we won’t be missed and they’re so boring anyway”.  “It doesn’t matter if we take an extra 5 minutes on our break, no one will notice”. There are those that dominate discussions, draw attention to themselves by cracking inappropriate jokes and generally disrupt the work of the team, slowing down the work, frustrating the others and the person in charge. Workplace bullying unfortunately also occur. Just as schools have policies to stamp out bullying workplaces generally do too and there are laws against harassment and bullying.

Handling people and situations that are disruptive can be tricky especially if you are the new kid on the block. Not handling it would be worse though as it would reflect badly on you if you get caught up in disruptive behaviour and worse if you cause it.

Employers and team leaders won’t take kindly to having the work slowed down, they don’t like domineering, loud mouths who cajole or bully others into inappropriate behavior like skipping meetings and taking extra long breaks. Unlike school you are being paid to work productively and cooperatively.

However, just like school there will be times when you get fed up with someone or some situation and you feel like you’re going to burst or knock out someone’s teeth. How do you handle that?

There are a range of things that you can do:

• Talking it over at home, with friends or a work mate can help. They may have some useful advice and just getting it off your chest will make you feel somewhat relieved
• If possible stay clear of the person irritating you or minimise your contact with them
• If you are up to it tell the person that their behaviour is getting on your wick. But do it nicely!
• If you are being harassed or bullied then report it to a superior and document it
• If you are the culprit and you’ve been spoken to about inappropriate behaviour then you need to take it seriously and sort yourself out. Get some help from a counsellor or psychologist if you can’t manage it yourself. You wouldn’t be the first.

Put your best foot forward

Putting your best foot forward is an old saying that fits here. It means being on your best behaviour. If you want to be well regarded, rise up the career ladder, get pay increases and very importantly be happy going to work then getting along with workmates is a must. The key is to respect everyone.

Pearls of Wisdom

• Don’t talk loudly on the phone
• Don’t take other people’s stuff from their desk or the fridge
• Avoid known topics of conversation that upset others
• Don’t try and convert other people’s opinions to your own particularly religion and politics