6 Ways To Get Along With Your Colleagues (Without Trying Too Hard)

By Mel Sim

It’s better to make friends than enemies in the office!

Almost all jobs out there require you to work with people... and for the job to be done well, it requires you to get along with the people you work with. The office is the best place to find all sorts of personalities, some of which you can get along with, some – hmmm – not so.

For the sake of your career (and the fact that you have to work with these people five days a week, 9am to 6pm sometimes longer), it’s important you get along with your colleagues. You don’t have to go all out and be BFFs with them; all it takes is a little bit of effort and a whole lot of being considerate. Like these six easy ways.

#1 R-E-S-P-E-C-T
All good relationships start with mutual respect. Your relationship with your colleagues shouldn’t be any different. While you don’t have to be best buddies or even drinking buddies after hours, you do have to show your colleagues some respect so that everyone gets along in the office.

The easy way to accomplish this is to avoid doing things that will make someone unhappy or uncomfortable. Like making a mess and not cleaning up after yourself, leaving dirty mugs in the sink expecting others to wash up, using your colleague’s things without asking for permission and the mother of all no-nos – stealing credit for someone else’s work.

#2 Don’t Overshare
If your colleague asks how your day was, you don’t have to go into the whole deal of how your cat spewed up its food, your boyfriend/girlfriend drama, your dating disasters – you get the picture. Share a little bit about yourself to create a bond... but don't go all out sharing personal details that may make someone else uncomfortable or bored having to listen to you go on and on.

#3 Practise Good Office Etiquette
Good manners always help when it comes to getting along with others in the office. Like not talking too loudly over the phone, listening to music that’s way too loud, or being rude and demanding when you need help with something. Be mindful too of your manners outside of the office – like proper table manners when eating lunch with your colleagues (keep your face out of the smartphone!) or if traveling for work, offer to help with the luggage if you see your colleague struggling.

#4 A Little Bit Goes a Long Way
Random acts of kindness are often appreciated. In the office, it can make all the difference between your colleagues teaming up to help you... or ignore you in time of need. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture; every little bit counts. Maybe bring your colleague a coffee during crunch time or extend help to complete a big project together so that everyone meets the deadline.

#5 No to Gossip
The cardinal “get along” rule at the office – don’t gossip about your colleagues. He or she may have confided in you about a personal matter. It may be tempting tell just one person about it. Stop – doing that will make you look untrustworthy and a trouble starter. It will only be a matter of time when your colleagues decide not to bother being nice to you or worst, complain to HR about you starting rumours.

#6 Do Your Job
One of the best ways – and easiest – to get along with your colleagues is to actually do your job and pull your weight in the team. Nothing will annoy your colleagues even more than someone failing to do their part and for everyone else to pick up your slack.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Share this article: