Working in the midst of people who don’t like you or your company can be very frustrating. You can’t be an effective team player if your colleagues don’t like or connect with you. You will be a one-man-squad in a team.
Therefore, getting you colleagues to like and connect with you is a necessary task. Mind you, this is not in any way trying to make you please everybody and displease yourself. This is to get your coworkers to flow along with you on a professional level.
Below are tips you can apply to get your colleagues to like you.
Greet your colleagues.
If you forget or cannot be bothered to greet your co-workers, think again! This is your most important visiting card. Greet your colleagues every morning because if you don’t, people will hardly notice you, never mind like you.
Ask for their help then, return the favor
If you are just testing the friendship waters, the best way is to ask for a co-worker’s help. People like feeling that their opinions are valued. Asking for feedback, even if you wouldn’t normally, is great a way to bond, and you might actually get valuable insight you wouldn’t have otherwise.
Also, be proactive and extend a lifeline when you spot a co-worker in need, rather than waiting for the person to come to you. That is a great way to build a bridge toward friendship and general goodwill.
Maintain eye contact while talking.
Eye contact helps in connection. When you talk to people, you want to connect with them in some way. The best way to do this is to make eye contact. Most people do this naturally but some are shy and introverted people have trouble in doing so. A good trick is to make sure you note the color of a person’s eyes. That always helps you to maintain eye contact.
Find common interests.
In conversation with your colleague, find common interests which help you to bond with colleagues. When you do so, always make sure that you use a follow-up question, about the common interest. If you both foodies, consider checking out the hot new restaurant that just opened.
Avoid controversial issues.
In order to avoid unnecessary arguments that might lead to serious disagreement with your colleagues, avoid any controversial issue when they are raised. The best trick is to not get drawn in. Just listen and keep your contribution to a bare minimum.
Treat your co-workers how you want to be treated.
The secret here is to treat your colleagues exactly how you would like to be treated by them. If you are expecting people to be helpful, friendly, positive, and productive, do likewise to them.
Talk things through from the beginning.
Say there is a problem in your section or team, which may concern a lazy or difficult colleague. There may be issues about a project deadline, assignment of duties, or sloppy work. If you let things linger, relationships will be negatively affected, and factions will flourish. But if you talk things through openly from the beginning, by asking about the problems and solutions, then this is much more productive in the long term.
Don’t be fast to complain to the management.
Think twice about complaining, unless you have suffered at the hands of a bullying boss or colleague. Negative experiences in the workplace are usually affecting all your team members. You are not alone and that should stimulate you to find a joint solution instead of going to the management. It is also a great way to be constructive.
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Never attack or blame.
In the case of a misunderstanding, don’t be too quick to attack or blame your colleague. Review the situation over again, and you might see issues from a perspective you could not see from initially. Look for diplomatic ways to blame without creating enmity.
If you try the above steps, with time, you will begin to get your colleagues on your side. Remember to give it time, as it won’t happen overnight. Also, some people might be more difficult when compared to others, so, relate with them according to their personalities.
My name is Chigozie Japhet. I am a content writer, and a brand strategist. I like writing, reading, researching and watching football, especially my team, Man United. i believe in working hard, and also in relaxation as all work without play, makes Chigozie a dull boy.
