Key points:
- Improving relationships with challenging coworkers is essential
- 3 ways to show appreciation for your higher-ed employees
- 3 essentials for successful supervisory relationships
- For more news on faculty, visit eCN’s Campus Leadership hub
We all have that coworker. You cringe when they walk past your desk for a chat. You inwardly groan when you’re put in a project together. Maybe it’s their personality, maybe it’s their work habits, or possibly both, but they grate on you, and you find yourself wishing–often–that they would leave your organization.
Don’t allow a poor dynamic with coworkers to sap your energy and sabotage your success in the higher-ed space. You spend too much time in the office and care too much about your professional pursuits to let one person drag down your efficiency, erode your enjoyment, and deteriorate your outcomes. Here are five ways to cultivate a healthy camaraderie that will serve your professional goals and increase your satisfaction in the workplace.
Identify their strengths.
Your coworker was hired and remains employed for a reason–even if it’s difficult for you to see. Recognize and respect the ways they are an asset to your team. Don’t let your frustration with them warp your view of them so that you fixate on the negative. What have they done for the team that no one else does? How have they improved outcomes? Who in your department works better because of their input and support? Notice their contributions and go out of your way to complement their work.
Reframe your exasperation.
Being aware of and appreciative of your coworker’s virtues can also help you be patient with their foibles. Often our deficiencies are the inverse of our strengths. Your coworker seems like an incurable worrywart? This may reflect their attention to detail. They are always getting distracted talking to others in the office? They have strong people skills that can be leveraged in your workflow and outreach.
Consider your shortcomings.
Be honest and humble enough to evaluate what your annoyance says about you. Does your short fuse reflect that you are stressed or burnt out? When you are feeling focused, centered, and fulfilled in your work, you can weather annoyances with aplomb–and identify potential solutions. Do you notice something they do poorly because it’s something that comes naturally to you? Offer some assistance rather than stewing in irritation. Be willing to own the ways you are contributing to a negative rapport.
Bolster your connection.
Take time to get to know your coworker better. When you approach them with an open mind and hopeful expectation, you might be surprised how much your relationship can benefit. This doesn’t need to be a huge investment of time or a laborious task. Even a few conversations in the break room undertaken with curiosity and generosity can shift the dynamic, as you deepen your understanding of and appreciation for your coworker. Engage your coworker on their terms, inquiring about the things they care about and asking follow-up questions with genuine inquisitiveness. Be intentional to find moments to take an interest in what they are saying and truly listen to them.
Recognize the value.
One of the beauties of a workplace is that it brings together disparate people who would not usually cross paths or spend extended time together. That inevitably brings friction. It also yields robust results, as our gifts complement each other, our experiences expand one another’s perspective, and our proficiencies work together to propel success. If all your coworkers were exactly like you, your department would be distorted and dysfunctional–and you would be annoyed for a whole different set of reasons. Diverse teams make us better professionals, empower our institutions to be more resilient, and enable our organization’s mission to flourish. Understand that learning through differences is a vital part of the process of your professional growth and institutional longevity.
Cheryl Hyatt is a founding partner and CEO of Hyatt – Fennell, Executive Search Plus and President and owner of The Charitable Resources Group, Inc.