Being a team player and getting along with your colleagues are essential skills when working for a construction firm. Building trust and communication will help you to be more productive and achieve your professional goals. It also helps with long term retention. So, what can you do to improve your “people” skills at work? Here are a few tips for making the most out of your relationships on the job.
Support Your Team
Work environments are often intensely competitive. Your coworkers are looking for ways to develop their careers (and you are too). They might be in line for a promotion or a raise. The last thing you want is for them to see you as a threat. You don’t want to be cutthroat in your interactions with colleagues. If you step on toes and try to show off, you will make a terrible impression on your coworkers. Instead, look out for your team members and show them you are interested in their advancement and well-being. If you have a chance to lend them a hand on a project, step in to help. You want them to see you as kind and helpful, not as competition.
Show Encouragement and Respect
The most successful teams build each other up, show each other mutual respect, and encourage each other to do their best. Teams are built of a diverse range of individuals with different beliefs, personalities, and habits. Listen to your coworkers and learn to understand their personality and worldview. This will help to build trust and rapport over time. You want them to respect you and know you respect them in return. It sounds easier than it is. You are bound to encounter people you don’t like. Some people will rub you the wrong way; the key is to learn not to be reactive. Don’t take them personally. Instead, do your best to co-exist and learn when it’s time to compromise for the sake of peace and civility.
Practice Good Communication
It is important to keep in mind that people have different ideas, methods, and values. You will find coworkers who take a completely different approach to their work than you do. While diversity usually has a positive effect on the workplace, it can cause problems if you don’t practice good communication skills. Instead of dismissing people’s opinions or trying to force your ideas on them, share the “why.” Explain to them why you feel strongly about your opinion and tell them why you think your idea will work better. Also make it clear that you are open to other suggestions. Turn differences of opinion into healthy discussions instead of fights.
It is hard to overstate the importance of being a team player. Cooperation is an essential part of the residential and commercial construction fields. If the team doesn’t work well together, projects will take longer to finish, and more mistakes will happen. You have to go out of your way to create trust and respect between you and the other team members.
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