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9 Tips on How to survive the Workplace:

Cubicle

“How to survives” have been part of each one of us at some point or the other in our lives, especially with regards to workplace. Today,  I bring out here certain tips which will help you to be at peace with yourself & others including fellow employees, subordinates and the most important of all – your boss.

The various tips listed below, mirror my attempts at survival at the workplace in the short career that I have had. This in no way can transform into the Bible or a magical potion to attaining nirvana at the workplace.  Kindly note, they are my personal views and as I would like to call them, the – golden rules to survive the workplace.

1. Never Compare: This is especially true when you have joined a new company which is more or less engaged in the same activity or in the same industry as your previous company. Yes, comparisons are bound to arise on the work culture, infrastructure, technology and other issues which one might find different from your earlier employer. However this does not go on to translate into a good company-bad company thing. One has to remember that every organization has its own ways of functioning and this may create limitations in the style of functioning. You will be required to appreciate the presence of certain things. However it is not necessary to get stuck at the things that you don’t like and crib about them especially to senior colleagues or other team members who have been there for a long time. Instead try to devise work around solutions to these things which will enable you to live the same or similar life that you lived in your earlier organization. Besides if everything were to be like your previous organization, Why Change in the first place??? Point to ponder isn’t it.
2. DO NOT enter into Conflict situations: A wise man rightly said – There are two things in life that you cannot wish for – A good wife and a good boss. If you manage to get both, then maybe you are dreaming! However most of the times, from my experiences, there have been differences of opinion between the boss and the subordinate (you). In such times, rather than a heated discussion on the subject, it is always better to put your point of view/justification across and then let the boss decide on the future course of action. This not only enables closure of the topic under discussion but also ensures a better working environment around you. One only needs to have two to three interactions with people to know their body makeup. Also most bosses are known to trust their instinct more than anything else. So rather than arguing on something and wasting precious time and peace of mind accept the verdict and move on. This may sound to be due to a lack of self confidence in your abilities to some readers but personally speaking, this is a much better way of being in a win-win situation.
3.  DO NOT cozy up: We may have seen many of our colleagues in action doing exactly this. These are people who may wish the boss hello in a more than endearing manner, carry their baggage, go to lunch with them, bend over backwards to do things for them, go to lunch with them and nod off their heads to every word  and every decision taken irrespective of the consequences. These are people part of the yes-brigade who may find themselves at cross roads when the boss just dumps them for a better opportunity. Though certain of the activities mentioned may form part of your routine unknowingly, but this kind of attitude brings you into a direct line of conflict with your colleagues and subordinates. This is what we call a “chamcha” in the colloquial language, here in the city of Mumbai, India. Also, if this guarantees promotion (as expected by some) you are better off being in a new organization than imbibing this quality. Always make your work speak for itself.

4. Never draw comparisons with anyone: This is especially true when we try to compare salaries, promotions, work profiles etc. These kind of comparisons will only end up in you being even more disgruntled and dissatisfied and may start affecting your performance. This will also lead to a stressful work life and you will end up a psychological wreck. Every man is there for a reason and you are also doing what you are doing for a reason. Just try to become the best in whatever you do and leave the rest to the others. Always remember we are never short of options. Give it your best shot. If it doesn’t work the first time, put in even more effort and if the outcome is still not up-to what you wanted, you always have the option of moving on. There is no dearth of opportunities in this world. Only require people to look in the right places.
5. Work-Life balance: This is the latest management mantra that’s going around. However rosy it may seem let me assure you, there is no such thing as a work-life balance. Work, these days has become so intense that it has started to seep into our daily lives. Also with the advent of nuclear families, family life has also crept into our line of work. When we crib about us having more work to do, we need to just stop for a moment and think about the last phone call or email we have had from our friends or near and dear ones. And I can safely vouch that there would be no man who has not received a call or an email from family or friends on a single day of his working life. I also do personally feel that we are always better off not scheduling any personal engagements on a working day even if it is after office hours. So stop cribbing and start working.
6. Stop looking at the watch: This is especially for those of us who are of the belief that office timings should be as defined in the company rule book. Had that been the case, India would not have been the outsourcing super power that it is today. Also, a work day should be defined by the activities at hand and ensuring completion of these tasks. In such circumstances, one needs to just stop and think of what would happen to the work left unattended at our table in case we are unable to resume the next day due to various strikes or disease or a family urgency and the additional burden it would create on our own colleagues and put ourselves in their shoes. I am always reminded of the opening scene in the movie Hollowman wherein Kevin Bacon ( the actor playing Hollowman) takes a break from his work and looks up and the sign pasted there says

“You should be working”

7. Resolve issues: Always try and resolve issues at your table itself. If it seems that an issue may go out of hand, consult your immediate reporting authority. Rather than letting an issue take its own time and getting escalated to various higher-ups and turning into a nasty situation, take control of the situation. It has often been seen that people take great pleasure in sending emails after emails on the same subject making it a pain in the eyes of the other people marked in the mails, without taking any action. This only complicates matters further and leads to frustration at the work place.
8. Enquire: At the cost of being branded an obtrusive colleague, enquire about what your fellow colleague is doing and what you can do to reduce his load. This is especially helpful in times when within the same team one of the guys is engaged in a demanding project and the other is having a relatively easy day. The very act of asking in itself helps soother the other colleagues nerves and help him in completing his work in a more efficient manner. Also, never be shy of helping out your co-colleague  in completing his work even at the cost of being late than usual in getting home. Remember this may happen to you too.

9. Remember: Finally remember the following two golden rules.

Rule 1: THE BOSS IS ALWAYS RIGHT

Rule 2: IF THE BOSS IS WRONG, APPLY RULE 1

So go ahead, work your worries away. Have a great day ahead!

Regards

Mani.S. (A.k.a Ananth.S.)

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