Career Coach: Is your style causing problems for you? - Washington Post

By Joyce E. A. Russell, Published: March 4 2012

EXCERPTS:

Here are some of the primary issues that seem to cause stress among peers and reasons for why they don’t want to work with a particular individual:

An abrasive style, tactlessness or lack of empathy.

Intimidating, domineering or condescending style.

Disengagement or inconsistent engagement.

Unwillingness to change.

Undependability.

Disorganization and lack of focus.

Poor communication skills, especially failing to listen to other’s views.

Negativity, moodiness or bad temper. Individuals want to be around positive, hopeful people.

Don’t be the source of the problem. Collect candid feedback from others on your work style. Be sensitive to the reactions of others and be open to adjusting your behaviors to fit the current situation. Research has shown that people better at self-monitoring are often more effective in managerial positions because they are required to read situations and play multiple roles when communicating with different types of people.

Factors that employees have told me they most appreciate in peers include:

Collegial skills

Consistent high-quality work performance, regardless of the project

Timeliness of work

Positive “can-do” attitude and enthusiasm
Dedication to the project.

Consideration of others and being trustworthy — being sincere and genuine and truly caring about teammates.

So, if you want to be able to lead or influence others or even get them to pick you for that next project, think about your own style and what might be holding you back.
Joyce E. A. Russell is the director of the Executive Coaching and Leadership Development Program at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. She is a licensed industrial and organizational psychologist and has more than 25 years of experience coaching executives and consulting on leadership and career management. She can be reached at jrussell@rhsmith.umd.edu.

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