Think About What You're Doing

Written by Alex Bolten


In my experience in the workplace, you need to be conscious of everything that you do and say when you are around others. This may seem like common sense, but it is still an important thing to take into consideration.

Having lived in University Residences for the past 3 years, I can safely say that this concept is very important. The Resident Assistants (RAs) put up flyers around each Residence Hall warning residents about the impact of their words and actions.

If these are guidelines for people that you live with, then surely they can be applied to the work environment. You don’t want to offend someone or do something wrong and have coworkers angry or upset with you.

 

No matter what you do when you are around others (or “in-touch” with others, as with social media), you need to be aware of how your actions and words have consequences. What may be a joke between you and your friend Joe might be offensive to Jill. In the workplace, you’re interacting with, most likely, the same people on a daily basis. You don’t want to offend or hurt anyone. If this happens, the environment will not be as functional as it once was.

An example from the Residence Hall flyers mentioned something about making ethnic jokes. While these are extremely offensive, and you might find them funny, the person/people you tell them to might think differently. You might say something offensive to Kevin about people from China, only to have him tell you that his grandfather was Chinese. This would create a very awkward and hostile work environment for the both of you. Although you may not have known, this is just one example of how something small and seemingly innocent can have a big impact.

Another thing that you should be conscious of is your actions. As the saying goes, “actions speak louder than words.” If somebody tells you that you’re working on a new project with Valerie and you roll your eyes at this, then you have clearly indicated that you do not want to work with her. That being said, how do you know the person who told you this news isn’t Valerie’s work neighbor or best friend? S/he could relay what you did back to Valerie, and this would again create some environmental tension.

The bottom line is that everything you do and say around others can make an impact in unexpected ways. Make sure you’re aware of the situations that you are in, and don’t assume anything. Like I said, what may be ok with you may be extremely offensive to someone else. You wouldn’t want someone to insult you, so you should show your coworkers the same courtesy.