I have had the opportunity through my career to be a part of many team building classes. One tip that I enjoyed was to visualize what people would see and how they would react to the things I say and do before I say and do them. This tip I especially use at home, although not consistently. I have found that more often than not, people’s perception is quite different than my intention. So many misunderstandings can be avoided if we just take the time to think clearly before we respond to things.
Another exercise I enjoyed was splitting the company into small groups, each consisting of a member of every department in order to do problem solving. This allowed us to work side by side with people we normally would never work with, and in doing so we had a chance to get a different perspective. If you think about it, each person has a different function within the company and we each have an important role to play. But often we don’t see the connection or even realize how we each affect one another.
Also, we may sometimes assume someone thinks a certain way when they don’t. By working with that person, we can get to know them and become comfortable enough to approach them in the future about misunderstandings. For example, when I was young, I went through a phase where I refused to wear my prescription eyeglasses on social outings. I had thought one particular girl who always seemed to attend the same events did not care for me. One evening we were pushed together and as it turns out she felt the same way. Because I was always squinting, she thought I was giving her the evil eye. So next time you have a little get together, sit beside someone you don’t normally sit with and see if you can get to know them.
Practice these tips and see how they impact your work relationships. Next time you get frustrated or upset with a co-worker, try to imagine how you sound or look when you’re addressing them. Or see if there isn’t a very good reason for them doing what they did. And keep in mind that you’re affecting your co-workers’ days as well, and if they don’t do well, you don’t do well.
