How many of you, Dear Readers, detest your working conditions? How are you supposed to keep a high level of productivity if you clash with your supervisor or co-workers? Keep reading to see how you can protect your reputation and improve working conditions around you.
BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE
The truth of the matter is that you are responsible for your own actions. Consequently, in an environment that is hostile at best or outright toxic, the most effective course of action is to learn the ins and outs of your operating manual. Every department should have one of these (even in the smallest enterprises). Do you know where yours is located at this very moment?
While it might feel quite tedious to memorize an insane number of rules and regulations, it will be your life savior when a colleague runs to the supervisor to complain about your performance. Indeed, no supervisor can write you up if you have followed departmental procedures to the “t” despite a less than stellar delivery.
In doing so, you send a dual message: 1) to your co-workers, you are warning them to watch out since you are a force to be reckoned with, and 2) to your supervisor, you are showing that you have a methodological, yet department-approved approach to your work. Once your colleagues and supervisor get the memo, they will respect and leave you alone to do the work your position requires.
But what if you do not have an operating manual? What are you to do? You should be acquainted with the standard of your industry immediately. If you are not sure where you can find the information you desperately need, you can ask your HR and legal teams or even a seasoned yet trusted colleagues (say in the professional association you belong to…. And if you do not yet, what are you waiting for exactly? Can you now see it could save your life?!) to point you in the right direction.
As always, once you have found what you were looking for, do not forget to follow up with a sincere thank you note. Everyone is busy, so when a person goes out of her/his way to help you, the least you can do is say thanks…. Later down the line, it is a good idea to find a way to return the favor. Such a personal touch will go a long way to secure your reputation as a trusted asset to any team!
KEEP METICULOUS MINUTES AND PRACTICE INTROSPECTION OFTEN
Now that you have become an expert in the rules and procedures of your department and industry, you must become a fantastic minute taker. It becomes essential to document your work at every stage so that your recollection is always accurate, and in the process, you will sharpen the skill of self-advocacy further. If the recollection of facts is hazy at best, is it really possible to effectively diffuse confrontations and therefore maintain maximum levels of productivity? Probably not!
Consequently, this blog suggests purchasing a small notebook (to your liking of course) and get in the habit of jaunting down notes that summarize the actions you have taken and not the confrontations you may have had with another colleague or two. This is best done at the end of your workday or at night as you decompress and prepare the much dreaded To-Do List for the next day.
By analyzing your own actions rather than that of others, you are definitively investing in your own personal development. This will go a long in turning into a critical thinker and a reliable problem-solver (and will most definitely help you rise through the ranks in the current department or, better yet, in a much less toxic one).
So, by getting into the habit of introspection, you are learning to analyze your performance continuously and developing new reflexes to deal with problems in real-time. This is how you strategically become a dynamic player, Dear Readers, no matter how toxic your department is. How come? Because no matter the politics and the dirty jabs anyone may attempt to send your way, you will see them coming a mile away and will have the ammunition to shut them down!
THE CAVEAT IS THAT YOU HAVE TO BE ABOVE REPROACH
The truth of the matter is that nobody likes a goody-two-shoes. Absolutely. Nobody. But, if you manage to show by your actions (and not with mere words) that you work hard to help the entire team perform better; you will slowly win everyone over including your greatest critics. Now let’s not go crazy! You will never transform a toxic environment into nirvana! If you can, by the way, please get back to the Branding24seven community ASAP to share your secret sauce in the comment section below!
No, but seriously, this blog is here to remind you that your actions have the power to turn things around even in the direst situation. Even if you feel that you are only David at work, you absolutely can take down Goliath. You will, of course, need backup….
So, come back to this blog every week and get practical tips that will help you discern alternative avenues to bring your net worth to new heights. Also, you can always email us at jms@branding24seven.com with questions you would like this blog to explore further.
Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read this post. Please share it with anyone who is facing the grimmest battle at work and might feel totally discouraged.
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