THE TOPIC ‘Office Etiquette @ the Workplace’ was tackled in my last article. There were many readers who contacted me asking for more information and clarifications. Here’s one reader who shares her story and asks further questions.
“Hello Ms Raquel. I enjoy reading your column and read your latest article about office etiquette. While I find it very informa-tive, I thought I needed to ask you some questions. I work in an office where my job does not require too much interaction. I just need to talk to my boss every now and then, and I like that my workplace is an almost enclosed cubicle. I do write-ups and mostly computer work. Although our company deals with clients, I do not have to do that myself. I enjoy my job and I like the isolation. I refuse to join gossips as well as pleasantries so I can finish my work fast. I do not need to practice the set of etiquette you men-tioned in your column. Thank you.
Sol-itude
Dear Sol-itude,
Thank you for reading my articles and for sending me this short note. I am glad that you brought this interesting topic. I like the way you put your name together with the kind of personality you seem to be projecting… that’s actually very creative. My pre-sumption is that, your job fits you well that you enjoy the seclusion from your colleagues in the office. Allow me to share with you some important facts about work and the importance of having great work relationships at the workplace.
- A workplace is like a family. By saying this, I am suggesting the positive nature of one that has a healthy relationship and sup-portive members who care for each other. Of course, this is a matter of semantics. This could also mean a ‘team’ which is composed of individuals who work together to achieve a common goal. Whether we call it family or team, it still needs members who show mutual respect while working together to achieve their objectives. A family or team member needs some sort of ‘sense of belong-ingness’, where each one is accepted. Everyone helps each other and creates an environment to grow and maximize their true poten-tial. Get out of your corner and socialize from time to time.
- At the workplace, commitment is required. This is the reason why you need to meet deadlines and report to your boss. The commitment I refer here means dedication to the responsibility assigned to you which must be accomplished with a certain level of enthusiasm. Colleagues may be able to help even in the simplest way. Collaborating with them needs not be in a form of gossips. You can always step back when it leads to rumour mongering. Remember that they can also provide relevant information. The more seasoned ones can share about the culture of the company and explain policies in details to you. This will help achieve goals. It is best to step out of your comfort zone and get help.
- In any organization, communication is crucial. Members need to be heard, recognized and accepted. Constant communication with co-workers may help gather support and encouragement. Remember that each day is different; there will be times when you feel everything else is going against you and it is best to talk to someone. You may just realize that the best person you can vent to is just a cubicle away from you. Start reaching out.
- You need to be able to adapt to the kind of business world you are in. Each company is different. Remember that businesses are transactional in nature. This means that the company needs to interact with clients with an end to either close a sale or a business. While these are done by front liners who deal directly with clients, you need to learn to have people skills as well. Companies re-quire employees who can multitask.
We may believe that the best workplace is a company that allows you to be comfortable the way we are. That is ideal; however, we need to collaborate with other people who share the same vision and mission. It is called being a part of a team. Remember that great things in business are never done by one person. They are done by a team of people.
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