That’s Crazy
“That’s crazy” the infamous words that you utter when you wish your coworker would just shut up about something. Whether they are complaining or sharing a story that does not interest you in the slightest, we’ve ALL done it. Maybe “that’s crazy” isn’t your phrase, but I’m sure you have one.
Let’s talk about how to approach this so you are both benefiting from this situation. I honestly hate small talk, but guess what: it’s critical to a healthy working relationship with your coworkers. It builds trust that will benefit both of you in the long run. Here’s two situations on how to realign the importance of the topic at hand.
Negativity
Your coworker approaches you head on with a person or a thing that is at fault for something in your workplace. Maybe your clients aren’t happy with new processes or maybe your department isn’t working well with another. Whatever the situation, let’s take a look at how we’re receiving this negativity.
You will come across negativity in your day-to-day, but it’s your responsibility to either nip it in the bud or otherwise you are just perpetuating it. Let’s think about the root of this negativity. Meeting people where they are at is really important. Did they have a bad day leading up to this negative situation? Is that mindset affecting their perception of the problem at hand? This is why it’s crucial to begin each interaction with your coworkers on a simple “how are you today?” This gives you a baseline for their attitude and what you can expect from them.
When presented with a negative situation, is the problem focused on a person that is at fault or a thing/process that is at fault? Most times when negativity starts to blossom, the problem is centered around a person and/or their habits. But what if you stepped back with a more objective view of the situation? What if we looked at it from the spot where we’re not faulting a person for the work they are doing. Sometimes the best thing we can do is assume that everyone is doing their best, then from there focus on why that person isn’t succeeding. There are select times where this is not the case, but assuming your workplace isn’t ridden with gossip, this is a great place to start.
When you let negativity impact you, your performance decreases. Whether you would like to believe it or not, it’s the reality. Still can’t escape it from the above? Look for that tribe of coworkers that really make your day vibrant. You will find more excitement behind the work that you do and cheering each other on is a great way to perpetuate optimism.
Story telling
How about your coworker coming at you with a longwinded story about this thing that happened over the long weekend? Some of us lack patience to listen; however, let’s reframe our mindset on why they are sharing this story with you. Do they trust you? Do they want your opinion? Do they think you might be interested to listen? Let’s take a moment to consider their perspective.
If I come back from a long weekend and I have a story to share, I usually choose to share it with coworkers that I know would find enjoyment from the story or that I feel like are close to me in my role. Both of these reasons link back to the trust I have with the people that I work with. We share and connect with humans because that’s what we’re meant to do. It’s how we find purpose. If you shut down that story prematurely, you are missing out on a connection with your teammate.
When you have connections like these, people are more apt to do work that you need help with. Creating these connections will help both of you get your job done future state, so it’s really important to invest the 5-10 minutes for this conversation. You will see your results flourish when you start to work with this person more.
Obviously, this is a small snapshot of different situations we can encounter, but hopefully these two tips will help you think about the next time you’re interacting with your coworkers and you really just don’t feel like it. I challenge you to get in the mood to be curious. It changes your perspective and keeps you optimistic.
-Rachel
