Rebuilding a Working Relationship
No two people are alike, we all understand this. But in a nation where most of our time is spent working, we tend to see our colleagues more often than our families. This makes workplace conflicts unavoidable, and how you handle workplace conflict will determine your successes or frustrations within the workplace. PrideStaff Financial has some tips to help you rebuild a working relationship.
Break the glass mirror.
When you look in the mirror, the reflection staring back at you is familiar. You know the nuances, the facial expressions, and the thinking behind that person. Many times, people have a tendency to view their colleagues as a reflection of themselves. We assume that our values and our methods of approaching things is exactly the way someone else would or should approach things. Instead of trying to see yourself in someone else, you need to let them be themselves. Acknowledge their assets, their flaws, and their approaches to tackling work problems. Break the glass mirror and see your colleagues for who they are and you will more readily accept what they have to offer. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you don’t see eye-to-eye with a colleague as long as you are able to complete the task in front of you. Someone else’s approach may be different from how you would handle it, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work together to get it done successfully.
Listening is crucial.
A key element to any successful working relationship is communication, and part of that equation includes listening. You can’t communicate effectively if you are not also willing to listen. Many times, a colleague is avoided because they have the same attributes you may dislike about yourself, and so without realizing it, you avoid or conflict with that colleague. If you understand why someone is doing what they are doing, it’s easier to know how to respond in the situation. And, if you are willing to understand why you respond a certain way, you will open yourself up to listening more often to colleagues. Change starts with you, and how you internalize and respond sets off a chain reaction—for better or worse.
Use their feedback to your advantage.
Ben Franklin was a master at evolving. Instead of butting heads with parliament and arguing over taxation, he listened to what others had to say. He took in the constant feedback of his flaws and turned them into his greatest strengths. If you can learn to more closely inspect what other people don’t like about you, you’ll most likely figure out how to change those flaws for the betterment of yourself and the workplace. When you are willing to give other colleagues’ methods a try or keep an open mind, you strengthen your own skills and show others that rebuilding a working relationship starts with you.
PrideStaff Financial wants to help you be the most successful you can be. As one of the nation’s leading recruiting firms, our consultants have the knowledge and expertise to help you tackle even the toughest challenges. Contact our financial consultants today.
