Ways You Can Be A Stellar Co-Worker
We often read about things to do to impress our bosses. While this is super important, being a great employee is not just about yourself and your boss. Being a co-worker everyone likes and wants to work with is also essential. This will not only help you make friends at your job but could also help you form connections. Maybe networking with a co-worker can help you get that position you inevitably want to be in. Here are some ways you can be a stellar co-worker.
Be Friendly
Nobody likes the grouchy employee. Even if you don’t love your job or only work there for the summer, you still want to make a good impression. For some of your co-workers, this less-than-ideal job is how they make their living. You don’t make them feel wrong about where they work. Show up each day with a smile and a positive attitude. It’ll do wonders to improve your experience on the job and boost everyone else’s morale, which is a crucial first step in becoming a stellar co-worker.
Get to Know Your Co-Workers
You are all in the same boat at your job, whether in an office or a retail facility. You and your co-workers are all working long hours together. So why not take the time to get to know your fellow employees? If your job allows for chatting while you work, it’s a great way to pass the time. You can even learn something about people you may not have otherwise encountered. If you can’t talk on the job, you can use your lunch or coffee breaks to be social.
It’s always more fun to have friends at your place of work. You can learn so much from talking to the people at your job, especially if you are starting at a company you want to advance. But even if you’re not, you never know what excellent insights you might learn from others. Or, what great experiences could you have had if you became friends? At the very least, being on talking terms with most of your co-workers will make the experience more pleasant for everyone and put you on your way to becoming a stellar co-worker.
Listen to Your Co-Workers
Along with getting to know your co-workers, you want to listen to what they say when you talk to them. If a fellow employee confides in you that a family member is sick, you should periodically check in with your co-worker about how they are doing and how your co-worker is coping with it. Even if you can’t do anything more than ask, letting your co-workers know that you were listening to them and caring can make them feel a bit better.
Your co-workers will remember the people who seemed to care about them, and if they later have an in at a place you’d love to work, they’ll think of you first. Plus, it’s also just the caring thing to listen to others. You would want your co-workers to listen to you when confiding in them. So keep listening if you’re going to become a stellar co-worker.
Lend a Helping Hand
Everyone has those days when they’re just too overwhelmed. Whether it’s because they’ve been assigned too much work or because something’s going on at home, they can’t handle what they’re working on. If you can, why not lend a helping hand to this co-worker?
When I was working at a camp this summer, there was one week when I had a particularly tricky kid in my group. Sometimes, I’d have to run after him, and when that happened, a fellow counselor was always there to watch after my other kids. Counselors even offered to help my group when they didn’t have kids at their stations. I cannot express how much of a difference this made to my week.
Knowing that I had my co-workers’ support made me feel so much better and made the week go so much more smoothly than it otherwise might have. If you can make this kind of difference in your co-worker’s day, why not try? You never know when you’ll have an overwhelming day and need their help. And it’s sure to make you a beloved and stellar co-worker.
Ask For Help
One of the most essential things in any job (and in life) is not being afraid to ask for help. If you’re stuck on a particular project, ask a co-worker if they have some advice. (As long as they don’t seem swamped with their work)! If they’ve done something similar before, chances are they’ll have some good insights for you.
Then you’ll be able to do your job even better, making life easier for everyone. Plus, it’s an excellent way to get to know your co-workers better and learn valuable things from them. And when you become a better employee, you become a stellar co-worker.
Advocate for your colleagues.
Advocating for your colleagues is another great way to prove that you are a stellar co-worker, especially if others may be afraid to speak up. For example, if you feel that someone’s thoughts or opinions are being dismissed by more senior team members, advocating for them can ensure everyone’s voice is given equal weight.
As such, it means you’re playing your part in creating a better working environment for everyone in your team. However, there are other, more severe occasions when you must speak up. For example, suppose a colleague is injured at work.
In that case, you should encourage them to seek out the compensation they deserve by working with an accident attorney, especially if you believe that the employer did not implement the proper health and safety protocols. Not only does this ensure that your colleague gets the support they need in the future, but it can also help to prevent future workplace accidents, as your employer will have to take action.
Be a Team Player
The most important part of being a stellar co-worker is knowing how to work with a team. Most jobs require their employees to work together on various projects. And no one likes the person who can’t pull their weight. That said, no one wants the person who tries to boss everyone around. If you have the experience to be a leader, still listen to your co-worker’s ideas and delegate fairly. Working together is all about sharing ideas and creating the best final product. Share your insights, listen to your co-workers, and put your all into your part of the project. Then, you’ll be an absolute stellar co-worker.
Working with others isn’t the easiest thing, but it’s inevitable in almost any job you’ll have. So follow these steps to become a stellar co-worker, and you’ll make some great friends and maybe even some critical connections.
