It’s no secret that we all have worked with people we don’t like – in fact, this is so prevalent that I was able to identify 15 Types of Jerks that we probably most of us have had to work with (and how to handle them). But whether we like it or not, everyone is not a jerk, and many times we simply have to work with people who think differently than us. For people like myself who know what they want and how they are going to get it, this can be a challenge. People like me often push people to do things the way they think is the right way.
But as you rise amongst the ranks, you reach a position where people around you has equal or more experience. And in such cases, you must listen and consider everyone’s points of view. And because I truly believe that there’s value in everyone’s input, I’ve put together a list of attitudes that successful people adopt to work with all kinds of co-workers.
They Listen Before Speaking
It’s natural to for many of us to jump into a conversation and take charge – especially if it’s with someone we don’t like working with. It sometimes goes to the extent of cutting people off and just give our point of view.
[Tweet “#SuccessfulPeople can keep their thoughts to themselves until they hear all views at the table.”]
Of course you can’t let everyone talk forever – so many people just don’t know when to stop! It’s also important to be able to keep people on track. So listen, guide and interrupt when necessary. And eventually make sure to put in your two cents.
They Assume Everyone Can be Right
People with confidence often forget that they’re not the only one with the right answers. It’s absolutely incredible how many unique solutions you can find if you open yourself up to listening to everyone, no matter how junior or senior they are.
[Tweet “#SuccessfulPeople look for solutions from everyone’s input.”]
The trick here is that you have to be able to take different thoughts and put them together like a puzzle. As a successful person, its your job to be the strongest solution finder.
They Can Ignore Without Insulting
As children we were taught “sticks and stones…” but as adults in the workplace we sometimes take offense so very quickly! And of course, those who do the offending know how to play the blame game if you try to ignore them. Thus,
[Tweet “#SuccessfulPeople can strategically ignore negative comments.”]
It could be by changing the subject, playing out the conversation without having any belief in it or just not paying any heed to the statements. However it’s done, it’s done strategically so that the other person doesn’t take offence and make the situation worse.
They Know When to Pick a Battle
To succeed, you have to live to fight another day. This may seem like a negative statement but if you’re working with difficult people or teams, you have to know when to let things go so that you can save your “opposition quota” for the right fights.
[Tweet “#SuccessfulPeople choose to fight only important battles.”]
There’s just no way to win every battle. Know which ones are critical for your bigger picture and fight for those. Let other people have wins which are more important to them.
And most importantly,
[Tweet “#SuccessfulPeople have unending confidence in their own abilities.”]
Which means that no matter how strongly they disagree with someone else, they know that one way or another they’ll be able to achieve their goals.
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