Teaching co-workers how to treat you

If you don’t like the way people at work treat you, do you think it might be your fault? Every day you educate those around you about what is acceptable and what you will not tolerate.Companies write manuals on their operating policies and procedures. These are the rules that govern how the company operates, what the company expects, and what the company will not tolerate. If companies do this, shouldn’t you have your own policies and procedures that govern the way you work, what you expect, and what others need to know when they want to interact with you?{{more}}

Although the idea may seem farfetched and rigid to some people, you probably already have your own personal policies and procedures in place. If you are pleased with your relationships, you have communicated in some way what is acceptable to you. If you are unhappy with your current interactions with your colleagues and boss, you communicated to them as well that it was okay to treat you in a disrespectful manner.

So, how do you change? First, consider what you would like to change by examining the behaviours you simply will no longer put up with. These behaviours could be things you do, or things people do to you. It’s important to write down your policies and procedures and place them in a visible location as a reminder of who you are and what you stand for. It’s easy to get sidetracked, as we’ve seen from the many business scandals over the years.

Please remember you cannot change the way people will behave, but you can change the way you react to their behaviour, and that is the key to changing the way people treat you.

Here are a few of personal policies and procedures that I’ve come across from friends and colleagues:

1. Be upfront in matters of finance.

2. No activities or conversations that degrade, hurt or violate another person.

3. Losing your temper, especially in public places, is not an option.

4. Be on time or even early to all meetings and appointments.

5. No work on Sundays. Email or voicemail is not checked, and friends and clients know not to call on a Sunday to discuss business.

6. Find people who are smarter than you are and learn from them.

7. Start the day off with exercise.

Once you have decided what your policies are, it’s important to stick to them and take them seriously.

Karen Hinds is “The Workplace Success Expert.” For a FREE SPECIAL REPORT on Avoiding Career Killers in the Workplace, send an email to info@workplacesuccess.com

Visit online at www.workplacesuccess.com