Office politics could make or break a career. Yes, qualifications and diplomas do matter, but if your lack basic communication skills and you ignore your relationships with your co-workers, you’re essentially self-sabotaging your career prospects.
Better office communication skills ensure your efforts are acknowledged and that your professionalism, integrity and positivity are all well-respected. This will be the basic for nurturing and positive office relationships you can benefit greatly from.
1. Don’t Judge – Listen to People
What office communication entails? It’s about making small talk around the espresso machine and giving someone a pick-me-up before a big presentation they got coming up.
People don’t like those who are always keen to judge their actions and behavior. It shows someone with evil intentions, someone that’s jealous and even unreliable.
Instead of criticizing others, try approaching them in good faith and getting a bit personal. People like to be listened to and this will make them more likely to listen back when you have something important to share or a favor to ask.
This exchange of ideas and thoughts is the basis for building a genuine work relationships.
2. Be Approachable
If you’re always walking with head down and eyes on screen that doesn’t quite invite people to chat with you, does it? Hand someone a hot cup of coffee in the morning and invite him or her over to your desk for an informal catch-up.
This shows a person that’s hospitable, amicable and generous. This could go a long way in getting people to like you and notice your other assets and talents.
3. Be (more) Emotionally Smart
Emotional intelligence is about being intuitive and proactive around the office. It’s about doing what’s expected of you, averting crises and solving problems before they spiral out of control.
These require a certain level of emotional intelligence.
Cultivate your emotional intelligence and it will allow you to better understand and manage problematic colleagues, awkward situations and self-reflect on your own limitations and fix them.
Try these office politics hacks and see how improved your relationships with your boss and co-workers will get.
Now go and earn those brownie points!
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