Probably more people than you know spend the majority of their life and time working with others in an employment-related situation. And these people don’t get to pick who their co-workers are. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to get along with others. This can lead to all kinds of difficult situations, making it almost impossible to get through the day successfully.
Working well with others is crucial in any situation. It is even more important in a workplace environment. Why? It boils down to things like efficiency, productivity and employee morale... just to name a few.
The size of the company or business you work for really doesn’t matter. The rules are basically the same if you work with one other person or 1,000. Each individual deserves the same level of consideration.
During your job search, have you ever noticed the phrase “must work well with others” in the job description or on the application? If so, there’s a very good reason for this. Employers do not want to hire individuals who don’t work well with others. It typically causes problems right from the beginning.
In this case, “others” can be defined as everyone you come into contact with while on the job. Obviously, the answer is going to be different for everyone. However, it can include the boss, your co-workers, the customers or clients you interact with, any vendors you utilize, the HR team, maintenance or cleaning staff... the list goes on.
One of the main reasons it is so important to treat everyone equally is that you never know what a person might be able to help you with or do for you in the future. Of course, that means never taking advantage of that particular person’s assistance or eagerness to help, under any circumstances.
Are you familiar with the expression “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know?” Think of it like this. Someone you don’t interact with on a daily basis, but still consider a friendly acquaintance, could share a tip with you regarding a friend who happens to be hiring for a position you’d love to have. Without that tip, you wouldn’t be aware of the opportunity. This scenario happens much more than you probably think. Just another reason to be considerate to everyone.
Another possibility is making a friend you wouldn’t otherwise have. Diversity in the workplace is more commonplace than ever before. This gives individuals a much better chance of becoming friends with someone who is not part of their everyday life. It might be someone who works in a different department or the person who maintains the office grounds. When it comes to meeting, and making a new friend, the possibilities are almost endless.
There are several reasons why it can be challenging to work with others. Many people have a tendency to bring their egos to their job site. It could be that these individuals are really self-conscious and unsure of themselves underneath. So, they use a big ego as a cover-up.
Quite honestly, grandstanding at workplaces backfires more often than not. It creates resentment and bad feelings very quickly. When an employee doesn’t work well with others, for whatever reason, chances are high that, that person will end up getting terminated.