As the saying goes, "rely on parents at home and friends when you're out." There are countless ravines and obstacles in life's journey, and one is bound to encounter difficulties and setbacks. Even Sun Wukong, with his great powers in *Journey to the West*, couldn't subdue some demons and had to seek help from other immortal friends to get through tough situations. In real-world workplaces, we may face even more challenges, and at such times, we need the support and assistance of the company, our bosses, superiors, colleagues, and subordinates, using the strength of the team to overcome these obstacles. Therefore, to create an excellent environment for professional growth, we must establish three major win-win relationships with our bosses (companies, superiors), colleagues, and subordinates.
Colleagues are one of the important customers in our professional lives. Many people regard colleagues as unimportant or dispensable, which is indeed a big mistake. When you're in a bad mood, facing difficulties, encountering crises, needing help, or during 360-degree evaluations at the company, your colleagues are indispensable partners and supports. Moreover, having the opportunity to work alongside others in life is truly a kind of fate that should be cherished.
(1) Show genuine concern
Whether you genuinely care about others will eventually be perceived by them. Moreover, showing concern doesn’t require much effort or provide any tangible benefits. Sometimes, a simple greeting or expression of concern can leave a lasting impression and win the acceptance and goodwill of your colleagues.
(2) Make efforts to help others
Since we gather together due to fate, when a colleague faces difficulties, you should do your best to help alleviate their worries. You'll likely receive heartfelt gratitude and kindness in return. American thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "If you sincerely help others, they will surely help you; this is the best form of reciprocation in life." This precisely illustrates that helping others is a prerequisite for gaining their help and the foundation for building good interpersonal relationships. Therefore, to establish cooperative and positive relationships with others, especially colleagues or friends, make sincere efforts to assist them.
(3) Avoid arguments and debates
In interactions with colleagues, disagreements, differing viewpoints, or conflicts of interest may lead to debates or quarrels. However, it’s important to remain calm, rational, and gentle, and know when to yield appropriately to avoid unnecessary disputes and ensure that relationships aren't damaged. Verbal arguments are not productive. Even if you manage to leave the other person speechless, they may harbor resentment due to damaged pride, making victory Pyrrhic.
(4) Avoid using the Three Cs
The Three Cs refer to criticizing (Criticizing), condemning (Condemning), and complaining (Complaining). In daily conversations or business discussions with colleagues, criticism can easily hurt the other person's dignity and sense of importance, leading to discomfort or anger. They may retaliate in kind. Harsh condemnation is unlikely to gain the other person's agreement or acceptance, often resulting in heated arguments and unpleasant endings. Additionally, constant complaints are annoying and unwelcome. Instead of self-pity, it's better to be self-reliant and strive for improvement to earn others' respect and recognition. Therefore, remember to avoid using the Three Cs when interacting with others, especially colleagues, to maintain positive interpersonal relationships.
(5) Maintain humility and prudence
Professionals should have the appropriate humility and broad-mindedness to accept others kindly rather than assert dominance. To achieve this, we need to adjust our mindset, avoid boasting, steer clear of public flattery, and treat colleagues by overcoming arrogance and excessive pride, as well as the tendency to act unilaterally. Continuously self-reflect, self-cultivate, and self-inspect. As Jim Collins wrote in *Good to Great*: Fifth-level leaders (excellent managers) look out the window and attribute success to factors beyond themselves; when performance is poor, they look in the mirror, blame themselves, and take responsibility. Only those with such noble qualities can generate actions beneficial to the company's growth and enhance their professional charm and influence.
In everyday work interactions with colleagues, mutual appreciation, understanding, and trust are essential. We shouldn't belittle each other, refuse cooperation, or argue unnecessarily. Some people, after achieving minor successes, lock themselves into a small world of self-righteousness, unable to connect with others. Opening this door with humility and an open mind towards colleagues will aid personal growth and improve performance.
(6) Do not compete with colleagues for credit
Successfully completing a task is always the result of an organization's collaborative efforts, not the design or creativity of a single individual or department. The most obvious sign of competing for credit among peers is when organizations or departments refuse to cooperate during a project requiring teamwork. Outstanding individuals won’t haggle over personal gains or pass the buck. They possess the noble qualities of tolerating others' shortcomings, correcting mistakes, assisting others for joy, and willingly giving up credit. They use an open, inclusive, accepting, and caring management approach in dealing with colleagues, recognizing that organizational success, career growth, and goal achievement are not the accomplishments of any one person but the wisdom, strength, and efforts of the team—a collective crystallization of intelligence and collaboration.
This article was published in 1989 and directed by...