The vast majority of American workers spend their days under fluorescent lighting with identical desks and uncomfortable chairs. They spend their days dreaming of raises and vacations, and consider themselves indentured servants with no opportunity to grow.
Bull.
Sure, sometimes you may be bogged down by the system at work, but that doesn’t mean you can turn into a whiny teenager. Chances are, if you are working full-time in an office, you’re old enough to be told this: act your age. The thing is, once you start carrying yourself like an adult, things start to swing your way.
Clothing
I am appalled by how some people dress in the office these days. You might as well come in pajamas. You may not know it, but people may be paying more attention to you than you think. So just because you threw on a tie for that interview doesn’t mean people automatically think you are a professional. You’re going to have to carry yourself like that more often. I’m a fan of wearing ties. I just am. Many days, I feel very confident in myself when I’ve got a tie on. There’s no shame in that. If your coworkers are making comments like, “You’re making us look bad!” and calling you a brown noser, that just means you’re doing it right. It means they feel threatened. They might laugh at that insinuation (and goodness, you don’t walk up and say that to them!), but it’s true. That’s their way of going on the defensive. Let them talk. You’re an adult now – stop wearing pajamas and t-shirts everywhere.
Getting down to business
Some people are shocked – SHOCKED – at the thought that they are expected to work when they are at work! I don’t know how many times I hear people complaining that their boss said they walk around too much, or talk more than they should. If somebody else notices how much you talk and not do work, then you are talking way too much. Stop and say “hi” to somebody when you walk by their desk – that’s cool. And you should, you’re a team, after all. But you’re not there to socialize. You are there to work. So hit the grindstone. You weren’t in class to sit around and talk, you were there to get work done. It’s the same lesson here. The people who goof off go nowhere.
Whiners don’t get promoted, but squeaky wheels get the grease (there’s a difference)
The office environment is not perfect – politics, stupid policy changes, and clashing personalities are everywhere in the workplace. So how do you approach these situations? Do you go to a friend’s desk and spend ten minutes complaining about it? If you do, you’re stamping your ticket to Nowheresville (I like that phrase – I should use it more often). Putzing around whining to your peers will not change a single thing, and it will just make you angry – and annoy the people around you. Nobody wants to hear you gripe.
At the same time, you may find yourself in a situation that warrants a legitimate change. Here’s how to get that change to happen:
- Arm yourself with factual reasons why you want this to change (not “I don’t like this” or “This is annoying”, but more “This is how this is negatively affecting the workplace”…).
- Start a dialogue with somebody who can make that change happen – don’t try to just push them to change it right away.
- Offer up a reasonable solution to the problem, don’t just ask that it be changed.
- Follow up with the situation.
- Do all of this with a concerned, genuine tone, not a whiny tone.
To get people to like you while avoiding the dreaded “sucking up”, just be sincere
I’m a generally-liked person at work. My bosses and supervisors listen when I bring something up, and we all tend to share a laugh at one time or another – or at least I laugh. Not all my jokes are that great. But anyway, on the outset, I look like I’m sucking up hardcore to these people, but there’s a very big difference between what I’m doing and sucking up:
I’m being sincere.
Even if you don’t particularly care for someone, ask them questions and show an interest in how they are doing. Share a quick laugh with them, if possible. Connect with them on their level. And don’t just do it to “get ahead” – do it to be a positive influence on the work environment. If you are beat down by the system, try to approach it with a positive attitude, which goes along with…
Just like in life, it’s not what happens to you, it’s how you take it
Everybody gets dealt a bad hand in life, and in business. If you have a bad day and people can see it when you walk past, you’re not going to go very far. Muster up the ability to smile – it’s usually not the other person’s fault you had a bad day. And remember, if it is, you can approach it respectfully. Ditch the whining and the “woe is me”. I don’t care how late you have to work tonight. This is your job. Generally speaking, management has to deal with a lot of crap, too. And if you are a low guy on the totem pole and you can’t handle that stress, then you won’t be in line for a promotion. You’ll have the reputation that you can’t handle the responsibility.
Want more responsibility? Ask for it
When emails are low at work, I walk around and ask supervisors if they have any extra work to do. I don’t sit around and surf the internet. When you’re a kid, it’s like asking for more homework. When you’re an adult, you know better – those that are willing to work can bring a great attitude to a better position. You’ll get more work, and you’ll be pretty tired at the end of the day, but that positive, gung-ho attitude will take you places.
Stop resenting management
It amazes me how quickly the public turns on somebody successful. We live in a free market, and if a company is paying an executive a ridiculous bonus, fine. That means, A) the vast majority of these executives earned it, and B) the company is doing well, so they should be rewarded for their work. Just because you get paid $12 an hour doesn’t mean a thing. You may be annoyed from time to time, but let it be. These are the people in charge, and just because you don’t like them doesn’t mean you should be defiant to them. If they are doing something that is actually affecting the work environment, then you need to do something about it. But spending your days being snippy at them and victimizing yourself will just guarantee more days being snippy at them and victimizing yourself.
I don’t think I’m being ridiculous with any of these suggestions. The fact is, in America today, you’re lucky to have a job. Just today, one of my brothers got laid off, my buddy’s friend is close to losing her job, and one of his coworkers got the boot too. If you want to be invaluable enough that they will want to keep you even when business is down, you better work hard and take some pride in yourself. Respect the people around you and they will respect you back. Then you can work your way into the position that you want.
Tom is an entrepreneur and freelance writer, working out of his apartment full-time, or wherever he feels like taking his laptop. He doesn't take long European vacations or blogs on the beach. He's an Average Joe that took control of his life. He wants you to do the same.
