How to get along well with colleagues and work together

[Workplace Interpersonal Relationship Series] 2

Why are colleague relationships important?

In the work environment, we may have to be with colleagues every day. We may have to share a task with colleagues, and we must work closely with each other to complete it successfully. If we work in the same office as our colleagues, we may spend more time together every day than with our boss or subordinates.

At work, sometimes we may compete with colleagues, and sometimes we must cooperate. How to have fair and healthy competition with colleagues? How to improve each other's work performance through competition? How can we live in harmony despite competition? How to work together to accomplish common tasks?

Our relationships with colleagues in the workplace are somewhat similar to our relationships with classmates in school, or relationships with co-workers in church, but they may be more complex and subtle. How to live in harmony and cooperate with colleagues according to biblical principles? This is the topic that this article wants to explore.

How to get along well with colleagues

The following tips can help us get along well with our colleagues and create a harmonious and highly productive team.

1. First of all, we want to thank God for giving us jobs and colleagues to work with.
We should pray for our workplace every day, pray for our bosses and subordinates, and also pray for our colleagues. I believe that God must have His good intentions in bringing us together. In addition to working hard and pursuing excellent performance, we also need to understand our work partners. If you just work alone, not only will you feel lonely, but it will also be difficult to achieve great things. Having good colleagues who help each other, encourage each other, and learn from each other will make our work more smooth and enjoyable. This is really a blessing and a favor from God.

2. Treat others with kindness and honesty.
Love and truth are attributes of God and are spiritual dispositions that Christians should have. This is the teaching of the Bible and a promise of God, allowing us to find favor and understanding in the eyes of God and the world (see Proverbs 3:3-4). We must keep our promises among colleagues, be brave enough to take responsibility, do not seek credit, do not complain, do not gossip behind others' backs, and do not criticize and judge casually.

3. We must sincerely care for our colleagues, try to get to know them, understand them, and be considerate of them.
I really like that someone split CARE into four words to further expand the specific meaning of care: Communicate, Appreciate, Respect and Encourage. If you truly care, you must have good communication, accept and appreciate each other, respect each other, and constantly encourage each other. I also like the rules a pastor taught us for co-workers: "Appreciate the strengths of others, tolerate the shortcomings of others, remember the benefits of others, and be considerate of the difficulties of others." This applies not only to church colleagues, but also to all kinds of interpersonal relationships. important rules. If we can treat our colleagues with this attitude, I believe we will definitely win the friendship and trust of our colleagues.

4. Respect each other, treat each other sincerely, and be willing to consult colleagues' opinions frequently.
Someone said: "People always like to be close to those who value them and stay away from those who belittle them." If we are humble, we will be willing to listen to other people's opinions; if we respect others and sincerely think that others are better than ourselves, we will Try to understand others, appreciate other people's different views, and see things from different standpoints and angles. This not only allows you to brainstorm ideas, but also avoids your own blind spots and biases. The Bible says: “A plan without first consultation will fail, but with the multitude of counselors, a plan will succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22)

5. Be willing to give, contribute your talents to assist colleagues, and try to give others honor.
It is human nature to try to protect what you have, especially your unique expertise. But if you are willing to share your resources when others need it, you will give them a positive impression. A Western proverb says: "Use your candle to light other people's candles. You will not lose anything, but you will be able to create more light." Everyone loves honor, so if you can give others honor as much as possible, you will be affirmative in your words. Praise them, praise their achievements, praise them sincerely to your supervisor and other colleagues, and sooner or later you will find that your colleagues will respond positively. (Taken from The 360 Degree Leader by John Maxwell, Chinese translation of "360 Degree Leadership")

▲Cover of "360 Degree Leadership" by John Maxwell. (Image source: Amazon.com)

Can there be true friendship between colleagues?

Some people think: "Because colleagues have interests, it is impossible to have true friendship." However, we spend most of our time with colleagues every day. If there is no friendship between colleagues, but only intrigues and evil intentions, this is really What a pity and sad phenomenon! The Bible says: "A friend is dear at all times, but a brother is born for adversity." (Proverbs 17:17) If our colleagues can become our friends, or even brothers and sisters in the Lord, such a work environment will be so lovely and exciting. It is enviable, as the Bible says: "How good and how beautiful it is for brothers to live together in peace!" (Psalm 133:1)

How to make your colleagues your friends?

John Maxwell put forward the following five suggestions in his book "360 Degree Leadership", which are worth your reference:

1. Listen. He quoted the writer Richard Exley: "A true friend is someone who is willing to listen and understand you when you share your deepest feelings. He will help you when you are confused; he will use gentleness and kindness when you make mistakes. Love corrects you; he is willing to forgive you when you fail. A true friend stimulates you, helps you grow, and inspires you to reach your highest potential. The most amazing thing is when he celebrates your success. It’s like he succeeded.” The whole process starts with listening.
2. Find common hobbies with colleagues outside of work.
3. Also set aside time to interact with colleagues after get off work.
4. Develop a sense of humor.
5. When others don't tell the truth, you have to tell the truth.

▲American football game. (Image source: en.wikipedia.org)

What should I do if colleagues are competing with each other?

1. Take a positive view of competition among colleagues.

Healthy competition is the driving force for healthy organizational progress. On the one hand, organizations must compete with external opponents, and on the other hand, they will also create healthy competition within the organization. This can bring a positive impact to the organization and is also a common phenomenon in the workplace. As Proverbs 27:17 says: "As iron sharpens iron, so does a friend sharpen his edge." Someone said: " No world record is set in one person's competition. "Only in fierce competition can human potential be unleashed." A person's best performance is produced when he is stimulated by someone around him. We see this is true for outstanding track and field athletes or tennis, swimming, table tennis, golf players, etc.

I like to watch American football games. I not only appreciate the players' skills, but also their sportsmanship and team spirit. The most important thing is that both parties must abide by the rules and obey the referee. Whenever the chess game encounters an opponent, both sides try their best, which is particularly exciting. In the end, the winner is not arrogant and the loser is not discouraged. They shake hands and talk happily with each other and respect each other. I think we should treat competing colleagues with this attitude in the workplace. Don’t treat colleagues as enemies, but as respectable opponents. We should cherish each other, respect each other, and learn from each other. If we can appreciate the strengths of our opponents and learn from their strengths, we will make great progress ourselves. The healthy competition generated under a fair and just system will enable members of the organization to stimulate creativity, unleash their potential, and continue to thrive, while the organization will also benefit greatly.

2. We must adhere to the principle of honoring the Lord in competition.

In professional football matches in the United States, if a player does not abide by the rules or even commits a vicious foul, he will be kicked out of the game by the referee or even suspended and fined. The recent Olympic gold medalist was also disqualified and regained his medal because he was found to have taken banned substances. We must not do anything to win. The apostle Paul also said: “If anyone competes in the arena, he will not be crowned unless he follows the rules.” (2 Timothy 2:5) In the fierce competition, Christians should “trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding.” , in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). The example of Daniel and his friends is well worth imitating. They were truly wealthy, not promiscuous, and mighty and unyielding; they stood firm and never compromised on their beliefs. The final result was that they were saved by the Lord, glorified God, and won the trust and respect of the king.

Author profile
Elder Lin Fengliang served as Chairman and CEO of Payless Car Rental System Inc., one of the six largest car rental companies in the United States, from 1989 to 2013. Currently, he is a director of the Christian Messenger Association and is dedicated to the ministry of workplace missions and corporate transformation.