Summary

The article discusses the importance of treating others with respect and understanding to foster a happier workplace, emphasizing the need for authentic communication and adapting to individual preferences.

Abstract

The author reflects on personal experiences from a corporate setting to underscore the significance of empathy, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness in the workplace. Despite the prevalence of resources aimed at improving business culture, many companies still struggle with low morale and toxic environments. The article suggests that both leaders and team members must actively engage in open dialogue to bridge gaps and improve collaboration. It also highlights the personal impact of workplace unhappiness, which can extend into one's personal life, affecting health and well-being. The author reminisces about a positive work experience that turned sour after a management change, illustrating how a shift in leadership style can significantly alter workplace dynamics. The piece advocates for continuous conversation and the application of "The Platinum Rule" – treating others as they would like to be treated – as key strategies for enhancing workplace happiness.

Opinions

The author believes that a toxic workplace is detrimental not only to professional life but also to personal health and happiness.
It is the author's view that both leaders and team members share responsibility for creating a positive work environment.
The article suggests that leaders may not always be aware of the issues within their teams and emphasizes the importance of open communication.
The author reflects on their own experience as a leader, recognizing that their workaholic nature was perceived as standoffish and demanding, and took steps to improve team rapport.
The author endorses "The Platinum Rule" over "The Golden Rule," advocating for treating colleagues in a manner that respects their individual preferences and needs.
The piece implies that personal development tools and resources are not enough to ensure a happy workplace without genuine effort and ongoing conversation among team members and leadership.

How To Treat Others In Order To Have A Happier Workplace

Lessons learned from my corporate experience

Often, I am genuinely surprised by company business decisions and low morale. Considering all the personal development tools, conferences, coaches, workshops, books, you would think things would be fabulous! Mindfulness, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy are all buzz words tossed around. But, sadly, things are not always perfect.

Wow, I hate to be negative, and it’s tough writing this article, but some folks need a wake call. And the wake-up call can go to either party- team member or leader. A lot like politics- opps! I won’t go down that rabbit hole. Further, it takes two to tango and both may need to stop and recognize how they can better work together.

Who wants to work in a toxic workplace? Who wants to be unhappy?

I would hope no one. And when you are unhappy, you bring that home with you. It affects your family, your health, your weight, your sleep, and your mental mindset.

How do you get back to happy?

I remember years ago when I was a Sr. Buyer at a large company, and I loved my job. It was so fun! Yes, work can be fun. We worked hard and sometimes long hours, but we were a team, and we enjoyed what we did. We learned a lot and added value to the customer experience and each other’s lives.

Then one day, new management came. The Board of Directors surprisingly let go of the CEO and his team. The new CEO had a different approach, and it was not a mindset of collaboration. The environment became restructured to be the opposite. More meetings appeared on the calendar, and relationships became more divisive between the team. One side was held very accountable to the other side, and that structure didn’t work. Resentment grew, and it became us v.s. them. It was a learning experience I will never forget.

The amount of people dealing with an unhappy or even toxic work environment seems to be growing. We were on vacation over New Years two girls were sitting next to me downloading their toxic work stories. On vacation! That’s sad to me. We should all be relaxing and having some cocktails, not feeling we must get work stories off our chests.

I have also given a lot of thought about what it will be like for some people when they return to work. Will they want to go back to work or will they have had time to realize they need a Plan B? When my husband and I lost our jobs at the same time in 2009, we did not have a Plan B. After that lesson; we now have Plan B, Plan C, and Plan D. It is good to be diversified not only for income but also for happiness and state of mind.

I started thinking about all of this again because I had a podcast interview today for Crush It In Sales with Workplace Happiness Consultant Wendy Conrad. We dove into a lot of these workplace challenges, and she suggested:

· Give the leadership a chance.

And

· Have a conversation, and continue to have the conversation.

Sometimes leaders don’t know what they don’t know. And it’s easy to assume they may understand whatever it is you are experiencing or feeling. This simple, but not frequently used, tip goes with any relationship. If you aren’t taking the time to communicate openly, you may be misinterpreting something, and feelings can easily be hurt, or situations escalated.

When I was speaking with Wendy, I was having more flashbacks as to my time as a leader. I struggled as I was (and still am) a workaholic. People viewed me as standoffish and demanding because I worked a lot and focused intensely on my job. I never took time to build rapport on the team so when I asked for something to be done, I was perceived as demanding.

I worked with my boss at the time to get through this and I started taking individuals out to lunch to get to know them better. We didn’t talk shop, we bonded over lunch and learned more about them as a person. It worked! Over time my team started to perceive me in a different light. More friendly, authentic and they got to see that I cared about them as people. It was just my first nature to work hard, which is how I was raised.

Everyone is different and should be treated as they like to be treated.

That is the real Golden Rule. Not, treat others as you wish to be treated. I recently heard it referred to as The Platinum Rule by author and business consultant Stuart Rice on an episode of the Crush It In Sales Podcast.

I find it incredible how often I hear about treating others as you wish to be treated. We are all different, and recognizing that in order to build relationships is instrumental.

At the end of the day, it boils down to remembering and consistently practicing authentic and transparent communication in a work environment or any environment if you want to be happy!