Are You the Office Grouch How to Get Along at Work

Are You the Office Grouch How to Get Along at Work One of my very first clients called meto say he had committed career suicide. He had yelled at everyone in his office and kicked the trash can. He needed help rebuilding his workdistributions-mix image.Every workplace seems to have that one person who is known for not being a kollektiv player. You know the person the grouch, the gossip, causing discontent wherever they go. Everyone avoids this person but what do you do when you are that person?Here are some tips on how to build rapport in your career, overcome self-sabotage, and be recognized as a team player1. Keep a Candy Jar on Your DeskThis will make you approachable. People will stop by your desk to say hello and take a piece of candy. This gives you the opportunity to greet your coworkers and strike up friendly conversations. It may seem simple, but this strategy worked for my client.A twist on the candy jar concept is to bring donuts occasion ally or, if youre like me and love to bake, bring in home-baked goods. No one can resist homemade chocolate chip cookies or brownies.2. Make It a Point to Greet PeopleAs you enter your place of employment, greet everyone with a warm and friendly Good morning. Your greeting and smile may be just what someone needs to put them in a positive mindset.3. Participate in Office FunctionsParticipating may mean giving up an evening to go to a coworkers baby shower or heading to the office picnic on a Sunday. Be present and positive. Do not be the disgruntled employee.4. Occasionally Go to Lunch With Your CoworkersEven if your normal routine is to go home and walk the dog or eat lunch at your desk, make time once a week or once a month to go to lunch with your coworkers. If your coworkers do not go to lunch together, you can be the one to invite them to join you.One of my clients welches new to her workplace and started inviting coworkers even the negative Nellies to join her outside at th e picnic table at lunchtime. She learned a lot about her coworkers and developed a respect and understanding for them. You never know what burden someone is carrying until you get to know them.Invite gloomy Gus and negative Nelly to join you and others at lunch. Maybe they are a bit negative or gloomy because they feel left out. Make them feel welcome.5. ContributeIf your employer allows you to celebrate birthdays and acknowledge special events, I encourage you to contribute. Dont be the I wont contribute $5, and you cant make me guy. Again, be a team player.A great idea that doesnt cost anything and was recently used at my daughters workplace is giving someone a treasured book to mark a special occasion. The birthday girl loved to read, so my daughter asked everyone to bring in a book off their bookshelf they liked but probably wouldnt read again. Each employee wrote a note to the birthday girl inside the book they gave her. It was a huge success. The birthday girl posted on social media that she had the best birthday ever thanks to her coworkers. She told everyone how she had cried happy tears because their kindness so touched her. This consideration didnt cost anyone anything, but it went a long way in building a cohesive team.6. Be ApproachableYour body language reveals a great deal about your attitude. Be mindful of how you carry yourself. Actively listen when people are talking to you.7. NeverParticipate in Office GossipIf someone runs to you with a juicy story, shut the conversation down fast. Politely, yet firmly, let the person know you do not want to engage. Also, be mindful that you are not the one oversharing or gossiping.Being a team player is critical to your career success. You do not want to be invisible. You want people to remember your name for the right reasons, of course. The above tips will help you become someone who exudes positive energy in the workplace instead of the office grouch.Jaynine Howardis a military veteran whose work as a c areer strategist and reinvention specialist has been recognized by professional organizations throughout the nation.

How to Learn When Youre Alone in Your Department - The Muse

How to Learn When Youre Alone in Your Department - The MuseHow to Learn When Youre Alone in Your Department We all know that ongoing learning is an important aspect of career success and happiness. Many of us dream of a job that provides opportunities to learn new skills, take on new projects, and be mentored by senior colleagues (that is, in addition to free lunch and unlimited vacation). But what happens when you dont get to work alongside a team of inspiring co-workers? When theres no senior mentor to take you under their wing? How do you continue learning in your role when youre the only one in your workplace who does what you do? Have no fear Here are five tips to keep you growing, even when youre a team of one. 1. Read Everything (and Often)While writing this article, I spoke to professionals from a variety of industries who have had experience working solo. By far, the most common strategy they used was to read aggressively. Look for news articles, blog posts, and books that c an help you keep updated in your field. Also, it never hurts to monitor what your competitors are doing (and publishing). Liz Heijkoop is a one-woman marketing department at a ride-sharing startup called Ridj-it. She suggests making a daily habit of reading relevant publications If you spend just 30 minutes of each day browsing the news in your field, youll not only keep yourself up-to-date, but also leave yourself open to new inspiration and ideas that could wind up being rocket fuel for your company, she says. 2. Join Virtual CommunitiesEven if youre the only one in your company who does what you do, there are probably many people out there who occupy similar roles at other companies. These days, its easy to connect with these kinds of people using social media. Youre almost guaranteed to find a group dedicated to professionals who do what you do. Use LinkedIn, Facebook, and other platforms to find and join these groups. Then, make a habit of contributing your voice to the discuss ion and asking questions. If youre at a larger company with multiple offices, you may be able to connect with others at your company who are in similar positions but at different locations. Some companies even have internal systems that make it easy to establish these connections. You may have to get creative to find the other professionals in your field. That was the case with Dee Dee Mendoza, who works as a university fundraiser. Dee Dee created a unique fundraising model in which startup founders pledge to support their alma maters when their equity becomes liquid. She ended up starting a blog as a way of sharing her innovative model and connecting with those who occupied similar roles at other institutions. 3. Get Educated OnlineAdding some specific skills to your repertoire could improve your performance in your role. There are literally thousands of courses online, many of which are free or available at an affordable cost (we even offer some on The Muse). Some of the people I spoke with also suggested searching YouTube for tutorials and attending webinars. If you find that the training you need costs money, dont be afraid to ask your boss for a professional development budget. 4. Attend ConferencesWhile its great to tap the resources of the digital world, nothing beats a bit of face time with others who do what you do. Find out where professionals in your role meet up in person. Are there industry conferences you can attend? Local meetings or networking events? Aim to attend at least two in-person events per year with others in your industry. Need a budget? Use the saatkorn approach you used when asking for funds to cover an online class. Focus on what you hope to learn at the conference, and make the case that your participation will help your company achieve its goals. 5. Continue to Seek Out New ChallengesFinally, continue to take on new challenges at work. Volunteer for interesting projects, even if they dont fit neatly inside your current role. Step up to be part of new initiatives, especially those that dont have an established plan or owner. That way, youll be able to experiment with new methods and learn new skills as you work to solve whatever problems you encounter. The most important thing is that you continue to learn and grow on the job. Otherwise, you risk career stagnation, and nobody wants that Rest assured that many people have used the strategies in this article to keep learning while on a team of one, and you can, too.