How to Be a Good Co-Worker

“Schreffler, I’m not bionic,” yelled my opponent to his doubles partner. It was 1977 and “The Six Million Dollar Man” was one of the most popular shows on TV.

With the way the game was going, I’m sure our opponent felt the only way he could make up for his partner’s poor play was to have superhuman speed and strength that only bionics can give you. My doubles partner Scott almost laughed at the comedy occurring on the other side of the net.

Nearly thirty years later I can understand my opponent’s frustration when my co-workers let me down. Am I supposed to come to the rescue and make things happen? It’s easy to blame and condemn when things don’t get done, especially when you’re the one ultimately who must interact with a frustrated client or customer.

If we work a typical 40 hours a week, that comes out to about 2,000 hours a year we spend interacting with co-workers. It pays, financially and emotionally, to do all you can to be a positive point of light in your workplace. Here are some thoughts I’ve put together after working with teams over the last couple decades.

Be an Encourager

Most people get discouraged at work, whether it is from dealing with a problem boss or handling an annoying client. Or they just have problems they bring from home and they need a lift. You can be there to give a word of encouragement, do something fun together at lunch, or write them a note. You can also just listen to them, which may be all they need to get over the hump.

One of my first bosses was a married man with kids and I knew he didn’t have a lot of time to do yard work. He was gone for a long weekend in late autumn, so on that Saturday I raked his yard for him. He didn’t ask me to do this and I wasn’t going to be getting a raise, but he was genuinely appreciative and encouraged by what I did.

Be a Fun Addition to the Group

Working with a bunch of younger people can be a lot of fun. The guys I worked were always saying funny things, which made me look forward to going to work. When I came back from lunch one afternoon I noticed my Internet browser was turned off but didn’t think much of it. A few minutes later I had to look up a web site. When I opened the browser there was a male dating service web site. I looked to my left and to the right and laughter came from my office mates. And I laughed along with them.

A group of us had a standing date to go out for lunch together every Friday. We had a lot of fun together, even though most of the time they were grumbling about the boss. But we had a lot of laughs, too, and even after I left I would join them for the Friday lunches.

Be Interested in Others’ Lives

I still keep in touch with many of my old co-workers, as a matter of fact, as I was writing this article I got a call from a woman I used to supervise 10 years ago. We both ended up living in Denver and she hangs out with my family and me regularly.

If you’re interested in other people lives, then most likely they will reciprocate with taking an interest in you. The one downfall of this is that you become too close to your co-workers and you stick around in a job that is going nowhere. I have a friend who probably stuck around his job a couple years too long because it was comfortable and he had several friends at the office. But he was also underpaid and disrespected by the owner. I cheered him on when he ended up leaving the company.

Do Your Job Well

You need to keep learning your craft and become an expert at what you do. It’ll lead to greater responsibility and more money. But it will also mean carrying your weight. People don’t like to be around you when they have to constantly clean up your messes or pinch hit when you’re not up to snuff.

A friend of mine works at a coffee shop and was having trouble keeping up during busy times. One of her co-workers pushed her out of the way and said, “Let me take over” because she was too slow. Of course she was ticked off her co-worker did this, but it also spurred her on to become better at her work. She ended going in early to the coffee shop so she could practice making the drinks more quickly and is now up to speed with everyone else.

Have a Servant’s Heart

I hated to call the tech support at my old company because I knew the one guy who handled computers problems would just gripe and complain. With a heavy sigh he would finally agree to come help me work out a bug with my computer. I dreaded having to call to him because of his attitude and actions. Save your drama for your mama, bro.

We can serve the whole company and make it more successful by having a servant’s heart. This means initiating with co-workers and lending a hand when they are overwhelmed. You do it with a good attitude and a focus on meeting their needs. The one caveat here is not neglecting your own work, and also not doing work for them that they should be doing themselves.

Being a good co-worker takes some practice but it can make your workday go more quickly and more enjoyably. I’ve made some great friends over the years in the office and have had some fun, too. And if you’re seen as an important player on the team, you are less likely to be let go during an economic downturn. You don’t have to be bionic, just an irreplaceable member of team.

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Dave Carlson owns Green Chair Marketing Group, an Internet marketing firm specializing in driving visitors to web sites through search engine optimization and pay per click advertising. Green Chair has designed and programmed more than 200 web sites. Dave can be reached at 720-922-3124 or visit his web site at www.greenchair.net.

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