While visiting a client's office, I saw a memo posted prominently in the lunch room titled, "Signs You May be a Bad Co-worker." It really hit home because these are the things I hear about all the time when I am doing teambuilding events, consulting or training. Here is my take on it. Are you guilty of any of these traits?
1. You complain about people without telling them your beefs directly.
This is the number one problem as far as I can tell. No one has the courage to assertively address the problem co-worker so they just complain behind their back again and again. If something your co-worker is doing negatively affects your work, you need to address it directly with him! But make sure it is affecting your work, not just something that annoys you. If it doesn't keep you from doing a good job, let it go.
2. You bring your personal life to the office and dump it on everyone else.
Do you have a co-worker who comes in with a scowl on her face and proceeds to tell everyone what a bad day she is having? And then the whole office catches that attitude, too? Or, maybe she reveals way too much about the problems in her personal life and spends a large amount of time on personal phone calls and e-mails. You owe it to your co-workers to leave your personal life at the door and be as cheerful and easy to work with as possible.
3. You are always negative and defensive.
Nothing is ever quite right including your co-workers. When a change is necessary, you complain and concentrate on why it will never work. "It was fine the way it was, why do we have to do it differently?" you argue. If anyone dares to criticize something about you, or tries to talk with you to work something out, you get mad at that person and bad mouth them to your colleagues.
These are just three of the things that can drive us all nuts about our co-workers! E-mail me some of your pet peeves and I will address them in this ezine. (No names though!) Hopefully, none of these traits belong to you or your co-workers. But if they do, post this article in your break or lunch room and see if they get the message.
Please contact me if you would like me to facilitate some teambuilding activities of lead one of your team retreats. E-mail: peggy@peggymorrow.com; Phone: 281-280-8190 or 800-375-1982.
