How to positively interact with colleagues

colleagues connecting with each other
Working well with others is not only an important quality to put on your CV – it’s also demonstrably important for both your work team and yourself. Yet many people see it as a stumbling block in the way of efficacy and achieving personal goals.

Here are some tips to increase positivity in your workplace interactions – both for your colleagues and for you.

Know Your Audience

Tailoring what you’re trying to communicate based on who you’re communicating it to is so important, and one of the key factors in how well it will be received. Before you start an interaction, try to think about the context or your relationship and work accordingly.

Do you usually joke together? Open with something funny. Do you keep it business? Then get to the point. It’ll make the interaction easier and more natural, and thus feel more positive for everyone involve.

Grab Attention

Starting strong will make a huge impact on the reception of the rest of what you have to say. Starting with a valid point, delivered emphatically shows you know what you want and are passionate about it – hugely important if you’re trying to get others onside.

Listen – And Really Listen

It’s always important to remember you may not have considered every angle.

Listening to others (and not just as an empty gesture) can help you all reach the most efficient or positive game plan, together.

Be Credible

While being personable is important, if you want to retain any sort of authority on a subject you must also be professional and believable.

Do your research and make sure you know what point you’re trying to make to avoid wasting anyone’s time.

Know the Facts

It may seem to go without saying, but bumbling figures and being hazy with the information is a sure-fire way to not get taken seriously.

It takes a few minutes to prepare properly what you want to say, and failure to do so can do irreparable damage to your cause. Be wise.

Ask Questions

Asking questions is generally a great way to up the positivity factor in any interaction, but it can be even more important in a professional context.

Many workplace quandaries are without one straight solution, so getting more perspectives is really useful. Plus, it’ll endear others to you and make them more likely to take your point of view on board in the future.

Be Direct

Dancing around the point without asking for what you want seems insincere, time-wasting and actually quite irritating.

Much better is to simply state what you want to happen in a calm and polite manner, back it up with facts, then see how your colleagues respond.

Be Reciprocal

If someone asks you a favour, do your best to say yes. It’ll begin a reciprocal relationship where each of you helps out the other.

In the future, you may need to call in a favour and having a wide pool of eager, friendly colleagues will pay dividends.

Choose Your Moment

Maybe first thing on a Monday morning is not the time to discuss communal milk. Use tact and knowledge of the workflow of the office in order to pick your moment wisely.

Timing is so important, and can have a bigger impact on the likelihood of a positive interaction than most people would like to admit

Build A Relationship

Being sociable with your colleagues can really help make your job more fun, and make you better at it.

Drinks or lunches together can be a great opportunity to build foundations of a friendship, and in the future make group tasks go off without a hitch.

 

Annie Walton Doyle writes for Inspiring Interns, which helps career starters find the perfect job, in everything from sales jobs to marketing internships. To browse our graduate jobs London listings, visit our website.

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