Aiming To Build A Positive Image At Workspace? Follow These Dos And Don’ts

A workplace can be an extremely daunting setup if you don’t have cordial relationships with your colleagues. In the modern day, the workplace has become the epicentre of professionalism mixed with camaraderie. It is beneficial to the employees as well as the employer if there is healthy friendship between workers that allows for collaboration, assistance and boosting morale in individuals. These friendships should always strive for a certain level of professionalism, to avoid any internal conflict that can lead to disturbances.

It’s a natural tendency of us as human beings to look for social mingling when thrown into a setup. But the first thing to keep in mind is that at the end of the day, these people are your coworkers. That is why it is absolutely essential to maintain a degree of professionalism with them to build a respectable image in the office. Maintaining boundaries and upholding a certain standard of morals and values as a professional comes in handy. The long and short of it is that your coworkers should not ridicule you and must look at you with a certain amount of respect that allows for smooth workplace operations.

Let’s take a look at the dos and don’ts to follow in a workplace:

Dos:

1. Greeting all your colleagues when you see them in the morning is a best practice to follow to harness and cultivate a pleasant work environment.
2. Use of polite words like thank you, please and sorry affirm faith and respect, when used in the right situations.
3. Helping a coworker in a sticky situation instils respect and appreciation in the relationship.
4. Asking for the opinions of all colleagues in a healthy discussion related to work makes the impression of an inclusive environment and makes everyone feel seen and heard.
5. Asking coworkers about their pitfalls or hard days at work is also very important to help boost morale and alleviate anxiety.
6. Going to lunch together and taking short breaks together is a good practice to make the workplace environment more friendly and remove loneliness from the setup.
7. Congratulating a colleague on a recent work-related success is very important as it allows them to feel recognised and helps in encouraging their performance.

Don’ts:

1. Gossiping is bad for the workplace. Any mean/rude comments made on a senior, team leader or manager are a big no-no. It impacts your image negatively.
2. Engaging in non-work-related topics of conversation is not recommended.
3. Indulging in inappropriate conversations like personal relationships is going to hamper your respect amongst the group.
4. Having favourites in the group can be a pitfall, treating all equally is important.
5. Going out of your way to greet a coworker is not important, rather it might impact how they perceive you.
6. Making comments on the background, culture, religion or roots of any coworker should be avoided.
7. Trying to make a hostile environment for a colleague by showing a lack of empathy or showing up with an attitude, is unnecessary and reflects poorly on your personality.

A workplace is a place of growing and learning as an individual, so sharing the journey with your colleagues is important, but setting important boundaries and identifying as a person to be reckoned with is just as important, which comes with professionalism.