Coworkers In order to be successful, one must: Have a support of your coworkers Develop a personal relationship Know how to deal with difficult coworkers

Gaining the support of your coworkers Understand your role Be responsible and dependable Become trustworthy Acknowledge your coworker's skills and abilities individually, as well as in front of others

Gaining support (Cont) Offer to assist when possible Avoid bragging to your coworkers about professional or personal accomplishments Always do fair share of work in a group setting Show your coworkers you value their opinion Exchange favors whenever possible Avoid conflicts; address the situation immediately if you sense a conflict arising

Develop personal relationships There are some kinds of relationships that should be favored and some that should be avoided Workplace relationships Workplace cliques Workplace romance

Workplace Friendships It’s best to maintain causal professional friendships rather than closer personal friendships, because if a friend is not performing well at work, that friend might encourage other friends to cover up some of his shortfalls This may cause tension, or risky situations (one might get fired)

Workplace Cliques A clique is a small, exclusive group of people who share a common interest, belief or characteristic Oftentimes, cliques encourage separatism (versus a team environment) Avoid becoming an active participants of a clique

Workplace Romance Risk associated with romantic relations (sexual harassment) most organizations have strict policies discouraging dating between employees

Workplace romance, (cont.) Similarly, organizations discourage to have close, personal relationships with clients and customers Best is to avoid such relationships (situations)

Dealing with difficult coworker In dealing with a difficult coworker, it is best to: Accept the fact that you are different and that you both might have difference in opinion

Difficult coworkers (cont.) Determine the cause of the conflict Keep the situation in perspective Evaluate possible alternatives and resolutions Discuss the situation with your coworker If all fails, discuss your situation with your boss or Human Resource Department

New employees As new employees come into organization, you can offer new employees a wealth of information about the organization that might assist them with their transition Make them feel welcome

New employees - tips Introduce yourself and let the employee know that you yourself are just recent employee Stop by and visit the new employees occasionally and see if they have any questions Arndt, Terry and John Ricchini: Backpack to briefcase: Steps to a successful career (p.28-31)