How To Work Well With Others

We work well with other people when we understand them, when we see them as human beings, when we make them comfortable, when we make them feel better about themselves.

We are better when we do things togther. Because we are not smart enough to know everything, to know what they know. That is why working with other people is one of the best ways to achieve greatness in life.

Working well with others brings us together to think, to create, and to change the world around us.

If you can’t get along with people, you have got to check yourself. Maybe you are expecting the wrong things from them. Maybe you want them to know you first before you get to know them.

Whatever it is, just know that people are different. They are not bad. They are different. If you want to know them, you have got to treat them differently.

You can work well with others when you treat them as they want to be treated, when you embrace their imperfections. Because no one is perfect. ‘Everyone is weird and nervous. No matter how famous or important, everyone is just really weird and really nervous. Especially the people who don’t seem weird or nervous.’ It is okay to be weird, especially when you are learning, when you are trying to get better.

You can work well with others when you are just you. ‘When we have no idea what’s going on, we should always say, ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ If you don’t know something, say it. If you don’t understand something, do not walk away. If you don’t ask for what you want, you will never get it.

You can work well with other people when you are not trying to be who you are not, when you are not faking your life, when you are truly interested in other people. ‘You cannot be an interesting conversationalist if you are faking interest in something.’

You can work well with other people when you know when enough is enough. According to Ross, ‘There’s nothing wrong with focusing on the details. But focusing on the details at the expense of your personal life is not a good idea.’ When you focus too much on details, you are holding yourself back. And the people you are working with are not going to be happy with you. Paying attention to details is good, but do not use it to take yourself down.

You can work with other people when you put them first, when you consider how they do their work. Because ‘doing work too fast is a bad idea. But doing work too slow is a terrible idea.’ The message is: To work well with other people, you must first understand them.

You can work well with other people when you know what is truly important to you. Because ’employers don’t want to know how you actually are. They want you to be the you that they want you to be.’ Having a job is good, but not a terrible one. Working for someone who doesn’t care about other human beings is not good for humanity. If you can’t change it, you have got to leave. Because your life matters. Remember, you have got one life to live. You can get another job, but you can’t get another life. So take care of yourself.

You can work well with other people when you can manage your time really well. Because if you can manage your time, you can manage your life. Time management is not really about time management. If we are real here, time management is life management. Time is not what you can stop, but you can manage how you live your life. When it comes to time, ‘If you want to be on time, you will be on time. Because being on time is easy. Respecting time is the tricky part.’

You can work well with other people when you respect yourself. Believe in what you are doing, in what you are saying. Because ‘if you believe in what you’re saying, then the rest is easy. Because if you believe- like- really believe – then all you have to do is talk.’

You can work well with other people when you are passionate about your work, when you love what you are doing. Because if you’re not happy with yourself, you are not going to do a good job. If you are not passionate about your work, then ‘go find something to believe in.’

You can work well with other people when you are a good listener. Not if you are a good listener, but when you are a good listener. Because ‘when you listen, you access a new dimension of the conversation.’ When you listen to the other person, you get to know the person better. When that happens, we can work together.

Source

Ross McCammon (2015). Works Well With Others: An Outsider’s Guide to shaking Hands, Shutting Up, Handling Jerks, and Other Crucial Skills in Business That No One Ever Teaches You