We all have to work with others if we want to fulfil our potential and meet our objectives. Even those of us who are solopreneurs have this requirement. Just because the other people do not work within the same company; it does not mean that we do not have to cooperate with others. If you can work effectively with others, you are already half way towards your goal. When you work effectively with others, together, you achieve more than you could by working only for your own needs. You do not have to like everybody in order to work effectively with others. Just look at some of the world’s greatest sports teams; they often contain 2 or more players with egos the size of small countries. Yet they succeed; why? Because they understand that when they work effectively together, they can reap the mutual benefits which will help each person achieve their own personal goals.

When I started my journey in the working world, it was popular to say in interviews that you were a team player. You were trying to portray the image that whenever the company called, and whatever they asked you to do, you would be ready to jump and obey their commands. I always hated the idea of saying that I was a team player. I am not and I don’t believe that there are many people who are. I am not prepared to sacrifice my own needs and goals to pursue the objectives of an organisation. However, I do believe that I work effectively with others as I am prepared to work together in a manner which helps us to both achieve our goals. And that is what a team really is – a group of individuals harnessing the power of synergy to achieve their own objectives and, in the process, helping others to achieve their objectives too.

You can read more about effective teams here.

​We all have to work with others to achieve our goals. There will be some people that you enjoy working with and others that you’d rather not know. However, achieving your goals does not require universal popularity but it does require you to be able to work effectively with others, even those whom you do not like. The following are some tips to make this task a little easier.

​Being part of the same team does not mean that you all have the same goals. When you understand this, you understand one of the best ways to create positive relationships. Take the time to get to understand the goals and objectives of others and find a way to help them achieve these. When you do that, you will have allies who will want to return the compliment.

If you do not have clear and comprehensive goals for each area of your life, check out the Ultimate Guide to Goal Setting.

​Each person has their own area of expertise and their own job. Take the time to get to understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Also, if there are job descriptions, make sure that you know each other’s role. When you do this, you can achieve the following benefits:

• You know what to expect of each other
• It is easier to divide up work
• Delegation is much easier
• You don’t offend anybody by asking them to do something which is not their job

You cannot work effectively with others unless you know each other’s jobs.

When you adopt an assertive communication style, you are better able to work effectively with others. You respect your own rights while also respecting the rights of others. For example, a colleague may ask you to complete a task for them. While you respect their right to ask this of you, you also have the right to say ‘No’. An assertive communication style allows you to form better relationships as, even when they do not get their way, people understand that you are not being cruel to them; you are simply doing what is right for you. Assertiveness allows you to set clear boundaries with others, including:

• Your right to prioritise your own tasks
• Your right to decline requests
• Your right to make requests of others
• Your right to privacy and confidentiality

These are just some of the many rights which you are entitled to in the workplace. When you defend your rights and, respect the rights of others, you build relationships based on respect which will reap greater rewards.

If you want people to work with you in a particular manner, the best way to do this is to provide a clear example of the behaviour that you are looking for. If you want people to improve their time management, then you must be an example of an effective time manager. If you want people to communicate more openly, you must communicate openly. As Gandhi said, ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world’. Don’t wait for others to work out how you want them to behave; show them.

All it takes is one person to initiate the desired behaviour and the rest are more than likely to follow suit. When you demonstrate how to work effectively with others, they are far more likely to replicate your behaviour.

The majority of communication does not take place in the form of words. Regardless of what words you are saying, the message that your body language is communicating is far more powerful. You may think that you can hide your attitude with fancy words but rest assured that your body language will betray you.

If you want to work effectively with others, your attitude and body language must communicate that. When people see that you genuinely want to build a positive relationship, where you help each other to achieve your goals, they will be more open to the prospect.  The following are ways that you can demonstrate your desire to work effectively with others:

• Be willing to trust others
• Be prepared to give the benefit of the doubt when things go wrong
• Rather than complain when things go wrong, offer constructive feedback
• Don’t just wait for things to go wrong before you communicate. Every time that someone does something right, praise them with positive feedback
• If you are having a bad day, try not to dwell on it for too long. See what actions steps you need to take in order to rectify it

Effective communication skills are an essential part of working well with others. You can learn more with How To Talk So Others Will Listen.

If you want to achieve your goals and objectives, in any area of your life, you must learn to work effectively with others. When you work effectively with others, you harness the power of synergy and achieve more together than you ever could apart. The old ideal of the team, where people sacrifice their own needs and goals, to work solely for the benefit of the team, is no longer relevant. People may be prepared to make these sacrifices for a short period but if a job is not allowing them to fulfil their own objectives, they are likely to move on, sooner rather than later. Rather than focus on building a team, it is far better to build mutually beneficial relationships where you work effectively with others to achieve better results for all.

Image credit: Pavol Spáni