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Strengthing work relationships
Excerpt quoted from website
The average person spends
90,000 hours at work in their lifetime. We
generally spend more
time with the people at work than we do with anyone
else in our lives. It
is therefore in our best interest to work on having
strong work relationships.
This doesn't mean that you have to be friends
with everyone at work,
it just means that you need to have positive
relationships with co-workers
that allows all involved to do the best they
can at their job.
http://www.keysolutionseap.com/strength.htm
WorkRelationships.com
Articles index
http://www.workrelationships.com/site/articles/index.html
Workplace conflict
There are broadly two
kinds of workplace conflict: when people's ideas,
decisions or actions
relating directly to the job are in opposition, or when
two people just don't
get along. The latter is often called 'a personality
clash'. A conflict of
ideas on any aspect of business can often be
productive, if the parties
involved are willing to 'brainstorm' solutions
together. Sometimes,
the compromise can be better for business than either
of the original ideas.
Conflict of this kind often generates better work
practices and initiates
positive changes that would otherwise never have
occurred.
http://tinyurl.com/jrjt
Related articles on same
site:
http://tinyurl.com/jrk1
Problems in Your Work
Relationships?
Eight Principles for
Positive Results
By Will & Suzi Helmlinger
http://www.hightechcareers.com/doc599/beyondhr599.html
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of Page
IMPROVING WORK RELATIONSHIPS*
http://www.stanford.edu/group/scie/Career/Wisdom/positive.htm
Develop A Positive Attitude:
Avoid negative thought and criticisms. Be
less judgmental and more
accepting of others.
Do Not Jump To Conclusions:
Gather as much information as possible.
Reacting defensively
to situations without knowing the whole story can cause
misunderstandings. So
you should respond, and not just react.
Improve Your Communication
Skills: Listen carefully and focus on the
speaker's message. This
will allow you to respond appropriately and avoid
misunderstandings.
When the speaker is finished, state your understanding
to ensure there is no
misinterpretation.
Resolve Conflicts Early:
When a negative situation does arise, do not let it
fester. Be direct,
but courteous. Develop a plan of action to address the
problem with your co-worker.
Then work together toward resolving it, before
bringing it to your supervisor.
Set Boundaries: Developing
friendships with co-workers is a natural process.
However, it is important
to set boundaries to ensure that the friendship
does not interfere with
your work. Focus on your priorities at work, and try
to limit personal discussions
to lunch breaks or after work.
Treat ALL Co-workers
With Respect: Be respectful by paying attention,
listening carefully,
and responding appropriately. Always be courteous and
professional. Regardless
of the situation, try not to lash out or be rude.
Be open and honest about
your feelings and allow others to do the same.
Understand And Accept
Personal or Cultural Differences: When you and a
co-worker do not see
eye-to-eye, try looking at things from his or her
perspective. You will
both be more productive if you recognize the need for
cooperation to reach
common goals.
*Source: Adapted from
Mind & Matter--Improving Work Relationships Managed
Health Network, Inc.
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of Page
Improving Work Dynamics
http://hroffice.nrl.navy.mil/working/impoving_workdynamics.htm
As one employee to another
with a shared goal of providing excellent
services to our customers,
I can demonstrate competence in my profession and
improve the work environment
by adhering to the following intentions:
* I will accept responsibility
for establishing and maintaining
healthy interpersonal
relationships with every member of the staff. I will
talk to a co-worker directly
and promptly about my perceptions when I am
experiencing difficulty
in our interaction. I will do so in the spirit of
resolving the issue,
not proving I am right.
* I will establish and
maintain a relationship of functional trust
with every member of
the staff. My relationship with each member of the
staff will be equally
respectful, regardless of job titles or levels of
educational preparation.
* I will not engage in
the three Bs," Bickering, Back-biting and
Blaming.
* I will not complain
to a supervisor about a team member before I
talk to the team member
directly.
* I will not complain
about another team member to any team member.
* I will accept my co-workers
as they are today, letting go of past
problems and ask that
they do the same for me.
* I will commit to finding
solutions to problems, rather than
complaining about them
or blaming someone for them.
* I will affirm my co-workers
contributions to quality customer
service.
* I will remember that
none of us is perfect, and that human errors
are opportunities for
growth.
http://hroffice.nrl.navy.mil/working/impoving_workdynamics.htm
Humor:
Tips for Healthy Work
Relationships
Ralph Surette, Ph.D.
NRL Counseling &
Referral Psychologist
http://hroffice.nrl.navy.mil/working/dirty_fighting.htm
Dirty Fighting Tips:
* Any time you appear
to be listening, you run the risk of giving the
impression that you value
your opponent's position. Combat this concession
by appearing otherwise
occupied.
* Use sarcasm to deflect
anger. If you say, for example, "You're so
smart," with just the
right aplomb, you can imply that your opponent is
obtuse, and then deny
you ever said it. A neat trick!
* Although it tends to
be rather obvious, saying "I don't remember
that" enables you to
bring an argument to an abrupt halt, and an added bonus
is that you do not have
to take responsibility for losing!
* Make it clear that
all fault lies with someone else and that you
are, in fact, the victim,
and that your behavior played no role in the
problem at hand.
* Pull rank. Remind someone
that you make more money, have more
status, experience, or
education.
* "Why didn't you..."
implies a character defect in your opponent and
will usually distract
them from the real issue being discussed.
* Exaggerate and escalate.
"If you really cared," is one of my
favorites.
* Use phrases such as
"You always," or "You never," as this cons
another into discussing
generic defects rather than a specific issue.
* Pick the most opportune
time to argue, like right before quitting
time.
* Lecture a lot. Tell
others how to dress, how to eat, how to drive,
how to use their computer,
how to behave, etc. This will help you maintain a
position of superiority
while at the same time giving the impression that
you are only trying to
be helpful.
* Finally, if you feel
your opponent is getting the upper hand, try
martyrdom. "You're right,
I am just inadequate" will take the emotional wind
out of their sails. You
can finish them off with, "After all I've done for
you!" That will lay them
low.
Tip for Maintaining Healthy
Relationships:
AVOID ALL OF THE ABOVE!!!!!
http://hroffice.nrl.navy.mil/working/dirty_fighting.htm
Related: Library
Humor Resources
More articles from hroffice.nrl.navy.mil
Dispute Resolution Assistance
and Guidance
http://hroffice.nrl.navy.mil/working/DISPUTE_RESOLUTIONS.htm
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of Page
From Total Efficiency.com
Test Your Total Efficiency
How well you relate to
your co-workers affect your job performance. You may
be the most skilled and
knowledgeable employee in your department, but if
you have problems getting
along with teammates, your performance is
hindered. You don't have
to be the social butterfly of your department, but
you should foster a friendly
work relationship with all your co-workers.
Strong work relationships
lead to team harmony and productivity.
Take the following quiz
to determine whether you need to brush up on your
people skills:
http://www.totalefficiency.com/english/tests/007.shtml
The Desk Stress Test
http://www.totalefficiency.com/english/tests/009.shtml
Articles
http://www.totalefficiency.com/english/articles/index.shtml
Examples:
Overcoming Desk Stress
http://www.totalefficiency.com/english/articles/011.shtml
Five Easy Tricks To Remember
Customer Names
http://www.totalefficiency.com/english/articles/005.shtml
The Customer Service
Process
http://www.totalefficiency.com/english/articles/003.shtml
Relationships With People
and Customers
Guide picks
Want to work more effectively
with people at work? Whether your relationship
is with your supervisor,
manager, customer or co-worker, you want to make
your work relationships
positive, supportive, and empowering. Get
relationship advice,
relationship improvement ideas and relationship problem
solving from these resources.
http://humanresources.about.com/cs/workrelationships/
Article:
Frustrated with Work
Relationships? Lead from Within
by Peter Urs Bender
http://www.speaking.com/articles_html/PeterUrsBender_882.html
online paper/commentary
Building positive work
relationships with employees
http://academic.emporia.edu/smithwil/s98mg476/EJA476u8/brooks.htm
Alberta, Canada - government
site article
Tips Archive
Work Relationships: Learn
to Manage Your Manager
http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca/tips/archive.asp?EK=170
Tips archive
http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca/tips/archive.asp
Work and Artritis - work
relationships
http://www.orthop.washington.edu/arthritis/living/work/03
To Top
of Page
Book suggestions
What
Do You Call A Sociopath In A Cubicle? Answer: A Coworker
Scott Adams (DILBERT
Humor)
Fish!
Tales: Real Life Stories to Help You Transform Your Workplace and Your
Life
Stephen C. Lundin, John
Christensen, Harry Paul, Philip Strand
ISBN: 0786868686
| Publisher: Hyperion | 2002
The
Experience!: How to Wow Your Customers and Create a Passionate Workplace
Lior Arussy
ISBN: 1578203066 | Publisher:
CMP Books | 2002
From the Publisher
The Experience! is the
journey of Joseph Jacobs, a frustrated call center manager who is trying
to deliver better service to customers despite a highly unmotivated staff.
As he struggles to find his way, he discovers hidden secrets about delivering
the most outrageously pleasing customer experiences by empowering his staff
to be passionate about their work. In an easy-to-read style, this book
provides solutions to implement for immediate improvement in customer service
and loyalty. The lessons learned include: treat others as you want to be
treated; and keep customers excited — if you provide them with an experience
beyond consistency, then they will have no reason to go elsewhere.
In
the Company of Women: Turning WorkPlace Conflicts into Powerful Alliances
Pat Heim, Susan K. Golant,
Susan Murphy, Susan A. Murphy, Susan K. Golanat
ISBN: 1585421154 | Publisher:
Putnam Publishing Group | 2001
From Our Editors
In their 20 years as
consultants, authors Heim and Murphy gradually learned what gender studies
have since confirmed: In the workplace, women frequently undermine one
another. Real-world experience and recent research both show that when
a goal comes into sight, men generally use direct action to attain it.
Women, on the other hand, have been socialized to express aggressive actions
through indirect means, such as shunning, stigmatizing, and gossiping.
Such tendencies poison the work environment, reinforce "cat fight" stereotypes,
and sabotage the efforts of women attempting to advance in male corporate
environments. Offering straight-from-the-shoulder advice, the authors prescribe
ways to turn conflict into alliance.
Know
Yourself, Coworkers and Your Organization: Get Focused On: Personality,
Careers and Managing People
Jack A. Juchnowski
ISBN: 0595247229 | Publisher:
iUniverse| 2002
Know Yourself, Coworkers
and Your Organization walks you through a series of engaging self-tests
and exercises to define your personality type within the theory of prominent
vocational psychologist, John L. Holland. This powerful, yet easy to understand
theory of people and environments can help you find the keys to a satisfying
career and rewarding relationships. Descriptions in Know Yourself, Co-workers
and Your Organization are jargon-free, non-technical and straightforward,
making the information accessible to all readers.
Make
Their Day!: Employee Recognition That Works
Cindy Ventrice, Foreword
by Robert Levering
ISBN: 157675197X | Publisher:
Berrett-Koehler Publishers | 2003
From the Publisher
"Please, not another
t-shirt!" is the common cry among employees. Make Their Day! shows what
employers and employees each expect from recognition and why most efforts
miss their mark. Author and management consultant Cindy Ventrice demonstrates
that to be effective, recognition must be built directly into the work
and workplace, directed at specifics, and tied to performance. Written
from the employees' viewpoint, this book explains why good working relationships
form the core of effective workplace recognition. The author then offers
specific, low-cost recognition programs that have been effective in improving
morale and productivity at leading companies like FedEx Freight, Cisco
Systems, and Wells Fargo Bank.
MYTH OF NINE TO FIVE:
WORK, WORKPLACES AND WORK RELATIONSHIPS
PHIL HARKER , TED SCOTT
1920688013, RICHMOND,
July 2002, 172pp, PB
In this short gem of
a book you will find a simple message, free of bull,
and grounded in love
and respect for people in and at work. In the
workplace, we look for
relationships and activities that fully express our
beliefs,ambitions and
ideals. We search for work experiences that belong to
the whole of our lives,
helping us to grow and learn and find a balance
between competing calls
on our time. This is no simple task and yet it is of
paramount importance.
http://www.unireps.com.au/isbn/1920688013.htm
(Australian site)
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