Workplace Dynamics
Our colleagues, core team and support systems at our workplace greatly influence our performance and consequently our career. It is vital to manage the workplace environment for a win-win - for the organization and us. This is not only for managers and supervisors but for all team members to contribute toward developing and maintaining a cordial, supportive and fun work environment. I see this as an important workplace requisite being forgotten so many times.
Well-honed interpersonal skills are required for maintaining a high-performing work environment and for handling different personality types. It is impossible to find an office where all people are friendly, helping and skilled at work. Sometimes you carry deadwood, at others not-nice-meeting-you people.
I find three types of people at work and call them:
a) Gate Openers
b) Gate Keepers and
c) May Bees - based on their work ethics displayed most of the time.
Gate Openers are friendly, supportive colleagues who go an extra mile to help. They know their job and do not feel insecure in empowering others. They are long-term thinkers and lead by example with or without a managerial title. It is in your best interest to surround yourself with gate openers – people who can open gates for you for growth. However, it is not easy because you need to be one to be among them, as birds of a feather flock together. You need to perform at the highest level and be a team player.
Gate Keepers are not friendly. They wouldn’t budge beyond their job description and show no initiative. They are generally stuck in a position and would tend to pull you back too. They are good at their work by being in there for long but lack creativity. It would be prudent to keep away from them and only interact on need-to-deal basis, being polite and proactive. Being in the same workplace, you may have to deal with them so cut down your losses by minimizing your interaction with gatekeepers.
May Bees are moody people. One day they are cool, another day they are horrid, depending on which side of the bed they got up in the morning, if they had an argument at home or their boss seems not so happy with them. They are generally reactive. You need to read them well and give them leeway on a bad day. Work with May Bees patiently through their mood swings, as this is a temporary phase.
It all boils down to developing excellent interpersonal skills, keeping a laser-sharp focus on work, adding value in what you do and thinking long-term. Try practicing the above and the workplace will be your oyster!
