Six Ways to Be a Great Coworker

To be successful in your career you need to learn to work well with others, similarly to when report cards noted when an elementary school student could play well with others.

It is unlikely that your career will lead you occupy a solitary position that doesn’t require you to work closely in collaboration with other people. Your ability to be a good colleague and coworker can significantly benefit your career and help you enjoy your job.

Here are six ways to rock the workplace as a great colleague.

Share the credit. Your success is not your own and is made possible by the support of others working with you. Be sure to recognize and acknowledge the others that help you successfully complete your tasks and projects. 

Be supportive and help out. In turn, offer your assistance to your colleagues and volunteer to help out with other projects when possible. Stay alert to co-workers who might be struggling with a particular task or project and step in to support them.

   

Let your guard down and be social. Some people try to keep their professional and personal lives separate but it’s important to be authentically you in the office. It’s difficult to develop meaningful relationships with colleagues without sharing some details about your personal life and finding some things to bond over. Develop these relationships by socializing with your colleagues at lunch, for dinner and drinks after work, and at the company-wide holiday party.

Smile and be kind. Your generous smile and greeting to a passing coworker can help ease a stressful day and brighten the office for others. Showing kindness to your colleagues is a simple way to build rapport and contribute to a positive work environment.

Offer what you know. You don’t need to have a formal mentoring relationship with someone to provide them with some training and offer guidance. You don’t want to come across as a know-it-all but be willing to share your skills and knowledge with others who could benefit from it.

Communicate effectively. It’s impossible to overestimate the importance of learning how to effectively communicate with you colleagues, customers, and supervisors. Developing positive ways of communicating with others will enable success in many other areas of your career.

Implement these practices and you’ll develop a reputation around the workplace as someone others look forward to working with.