Fit Into the Organization 10: Support Other Team Members

This continues our series on how fitting in helps you get the biggest raises and better jobs

Dianna was loved by all her co-workers. She made friends easily because she was a good friend. She demonstrated sincere interest in others. She brought treats on their birthdays and other special days. She frequently offered to help others with their assignments. They respected her abilities as an administrative assistant. She became the assistant that mentored all the new administrative assistants.

 

Strengthen Your Co-Workers

Look for an opportunity to talk to someone in a different division or team than yours once a month. Tell them a little (30 seconds) about your job. Casually ask them 2-4 questions about theirs: What they do? What is the best part of their job? What is the most frustrating part of their job? Do not interrogate them.

Find a way to help someone in your group perform better on the job. Teach them a skill you possess. Introduce them to members of your network. Help them improve their productivity or ability to fit in. Mentor them to be a better employee.

Mentoring another co-worker helps you learn your job more effectively. You can teach the co-worker the skills you possess and the written and unwritten rules you understand. Mentoring another person to work harder and smarter brings personal gratification as well as the appreciation of management.

 

Do Nice Things for Co-Workers

Lots of co-workers take vacation during the holidays. Consequently, your work will operate with fewer workers than normal. You can impress management by offering to cover for people on vacation. Offer to do extra work during your regular hours, or offer to work extra shifts. Communicate what you did to management.

Occasionally bring some treats to share with your co-workers. Verify you do not violate company policy bringing food to work. Place the treats where everyone can get to them. Be sensitive to any health or personal diet challenges in selecting your treats. Do not use the treats to call attention to yourself.

Wednesday we discuss how to stay connected with former co-workers and managers

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