Success impulse: Among friends
Why do we behave differently among friends than at work? Volkmar Völzke's latest Success Impulse shows how you can create a "friendly" environment in business, too.
Recently, a member of the management team of one of my clients asked me how he should react when his boss falls asleep during the meeting and other colleagues also demonstrate disinterest. I didn't have to think long for the answer, as this phenomenon in a similar (sometimes less blatant form) is not at all uncommon in SMEs. (Note: in this case it is hardly due to the boring topics). Here's my counter question: "How would you react among friends if something like this happened?" The answer is easy: "Make a joke about it." Or: "Go up to the person, give her a good slap on the shoulder and say something like 'Well, partied too long again last night?'"
The things we do among friends...
It's amazing: what don't we do among friends? We have fun, we trust each other, we give honest feedback, we forgive each other, we fight together for our dreams, and we look forward to spending time together. And when we work together on goals that are important to all of us, an incredible energy and passion can unfold. I don't know about you, but I can still remember times like that.
Here comes the point: Why don't we actually act the same way during our work? Why do we too often switch to another program as soon as we are at work? Of course, there are many reasons to do just that, and to view our work as an un-friendlich, to see a foreign environment. And therefore to do exactly the opposite of what we would do among friends.
Create a "friendly" environment
The good news: you can change that. Here is the counter program (i.e. how you can create a friendenvironment):
- Projection. Think of your colleagues, your managers, and your customers as longtime friends: How would you greet them in the morning? Would you be casual and informal? Would you make a sympathetic comment? Whatever: do just that at work!
- Humor. Seriousness for hours rarely suits the way friends interact. Instead, friends laugh together. Bring fun and humor to the office! We are people, not machines.
- Trust. Assume for a moment that you can fully trust your colleagues. Then behave accordingly. There is simply no reasonable alternative to this (except forced labor).
Your working time is valuable life time, and a considerable amount of it. You can choose whether to spend it among "strangers" or friends. Your decision radiates to those around you.
To the author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch
