For most full-time employees, they spend 40 hours or more a week with their co-workers.
Given there are 168 hours in a week, that means that employees in that scenario are with those they work with approximately one-fourth of the week. When you sit back and think about it for a moment that is a fair amount of time.
In the event you find yourself in that situation, what do you think of your co-workers? Do you enjoy your time with them? Do you tolerate time spent together? Do you wish they would give their two weeksâ notice tomorrow?
Having worked in a handful of jobs over a 23-year career to date, I can honestly say that I could count on two hands the people I really did not enjoy working with.
The reasoning in most of those cases was that I felt they did not like me and had a beef with me for one reason or another. One or two even went as far as to try and make life difficult for me inside the office. As it turns out, one of them got fired for their efforts, something that I did not exactly lose much sleep over.
Meantime, there have been many co-workers that I had absolutely nothing in common with, the same folks that I would never have anything to do with outside of the workplace. That isnât because I did not like them, simply it has been that we had no similar interests and it would be rather moot to hang out.
So that brings me to the original questionâ¦. Do you like the people you work with?
If your answer is no, donât feel like you are to blame or that your employer doesnât think highly of you.
Does Your Employer Sidestep Results for Company Culture?
I have always been a big proponent of results in the workplace. You can be the least friendly individual in the office, but if your results speak for themselves and you are surpassing what was expected of you in terms of goals, you are okay in my book. Having said that, that does not mean you should walk around the office with looks that could kill.
I once worked with an individual that would come in and spend half of her day on the phone with her pre-teen daughter. Making matters worse, the woman sat right next to me.
Although I did not stay with the company for years, I was there long enough to acquire a sizable headache a couple times a week from listening to her tell her daughter to clean up her room, walk the dog, and do her homework and more. While being subjected to the trivial banter while trying to focus and get my writing done, I would at times want to grab the phone out of her hand andâ¦.
I also have had the non-pleasure of working with someone that treated everyone around her like they were in junior high and she was the teacher.
Treat Your Elders with Respect
One of the quickest ways as a departmental manager to turn people under you off is to be condescending towards them. Whether you have 20 years in the workplace or are the newest intern at work, people need to be treated with respect, not talked down to. At the end of the day, a manager needs to bring people together for the common goal of the company being successful, not dividing the office into individuals that are not excited about team success.
Lastly, I always have a little disdain for the young worker that comes into a company and thinks they know everything. Trust me; I was that same individual some 25 years ago that did not look up to or at times respect authority. Over time, I saw how immature I must have looked to those more experienced employees. Many young people that come to a company bring fresh ideas, enthusiasm, and a feeling like nothing canât be achieved. While those are all great traits to have, nothing replaces experience.
Given my present age and my financial needs, I see myself working at least another 20 years, maybe longer.
In those years to come, I would like to think that I will enjoy working with my still unknown co-workers.
Heck, it canât be that hard to like those you work with, yes?
Whether you have been in the workforce for decades or just a handful of years, have you enjoyed the folks youâve worked with?
Photo credit: glassdoor.com
Dave Thomas, who discusses subjects such as HR outsourcing companies and payroll services, writes extensively for San Diego-based Business.com.
