Signals Could Be Sending To Your Coworkers
Consciously and unconsciously, we are constantly giving off signals to our coworkers that determine how we are perceived. Although the quality of work we produce is an important factor in this determination, there are many other dimensions that come into play. Are you wondering what in the world these factors could be? Here are some of the different aspects that we at TeamSoft came up with:
1. How do you handle mistakes?
In the area of how your coworkers perceive you, how you handle a mistake is far more important than the actual mistake itself.
When you make a mistake, take the responsibility and own up to it. Acknowledge that you slipped up and make a plan on how you will correct it. We are all human and even the most brilliant people make mistakes, so don’t sweat it if you mess up. After all, mistakes are meant for learning, not repeating.
2. How do you behave in meetings?
Like many people, you probably attend several meetings and may even struggle to stay awake at times. However, how you behave in meetings, even if you are running low on coffee, may be a factor in what your colleagues think of you.
If you do not participate in the meeting and are constantly silent, you may be sending out a signal that you are not interested with the topic or do not want to contribute to the meeting. In addition, spending your time at the meeting slouching in your chair or constantly checking your phone and email are other signals that give off the impression you are disengaged, even if you are not trying to be. Your facial expression is another major factor. If you are rolling your eyes, constantly looking at the clock, or just look downright impatient, you may come off as rude, and nobody wants that.
Make sure you are paying attention to who is talking. We get it. You’re busy and so is everyone else. No one likes to be disrespected or feel like they are being blown off, so give them the attention they deserve. Pretend you are the person talking at the meeting and act how you would like others to listen to you.
3. When do you arrive to and leave from work?
The number of hours you put in at the office may sometimes matter. If you’re a person that always arrives to work late or leaves as soon as the clock hits 5 pm, you could easily be seen as only putting in the bare minimum and not being fully committed to your job. Managers often see these types of people as less effective in their role and not interested with the work at hand. If you are a manager, this same concept can apply to you. If you are also consistently arriving to work late and leaving early, you could easily be perceived as a lazy manger and run the risk of losing your colleagues’ respect.
Long story short, the amount of time you put in at the office can matter, so make sure you pay attention to it.
4. How do you treat people outside of your team?
In most cases, you probably treat your boss with respect and are at least cordial to the members on your team. But how do you treat other members that you do not directly work with? Do you treat the office janitor or the temp worker with the same respect that you give to your boss? If you snap at these people or don’t even acknowledge their presence, regardless of what role they are in, you could easily be seen in a negative light by your peers. Take the time to appreciate and learn what other people in the organization actually do. After all, a company would not be functioning without them.
Take a moment and ask yourself these questions. Do you feel there is room for improvement on the signals you are sending out to your peers? Let us know your opinion or if there are any other factors that you can think of that come into play on how people perceive others in the workplace.
