I Hate My Coworkers

I Hate My Coworkers

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Are you a project manager with a job you love but a bunch of coworkers you cant stand? Maybe theyre a tightly knit group thats slow to accept outsiders, or perhaps they expect you to shoulder more than your share of the workload. Whatever the reason, its a drag to go into the office every day knowing your best shot at happiness is to avoid everyone you work with. Rather than let a bad team vibe ruin an otherwise great job, weve put together some tips to help you keep the peace, remain politically neutral, and learn to love (or at least tolerate) your coworkers.

The unwelcome wagon. Occasionally you find PMOs that have been together so long they act like a secret society, keeping to themselves and shunning new employees.

What to do: Stop trying to become part of the crowdthe more effort you put into it, the more theyll close ranks. Instead, cast a wider net with your interactions (end users, stakeholders, internal partners, outside collaborators) to ensure your efforts arent buried by someone inside the group. Seek support from outside the team for project objectives and budget requests. This will keep the focus on the overall plan, while also neutralizing any politically-motivated actions that seek to discredit or further alienate you.

The teachers. Youre new, so you must not know anything about project management, right? Dont worrytheyll take you under their collective wing and show you the ropes, all while quietly undermining your confidence and professional image.

What to do: Be confident in the skills and expertise you bring to the team. If people have implied that your performance or experience is lacking, check with your bossthats where legitimate job feedback comes from. Gain knowledge where you can, but beyond that youll need to firmly (and tactfully) keep unsolicited mentors at arms length. Remember that many of these folks mean well, while others are simply trying to cover their own lack of performance with passive aggressive kindness.

The gossips. Theres a lot to do in your new PMO, but apparently theres also a lot to gab about. The gossip is everywherein the halls, during meetings, maybe even in your office when they cant pin you down somewhere elseand its disrupting the entire teams productivity.

What to do: A trivial amount of office chatter is normal and innocuous, but its critical that you dont fall into the gossip trap. Feel free to exchange quick pleasantries when you visit the snack machine or pass each other in the corridors, but be sure to extricate yourself at the first opportunity. Make a point of checking your watch, then let the talkers know that you must get back to work/a conference call/a meeting/the project thats due this afternoon. Youre unlikely to change their behavior, but by accomplishing your own objectives youll shine come review time.

The slackers. Now that youre on board, theyre happy to hand over their entire task list (which they probably werent getting through, anyhow). You suddenly have more on your plate than you can handle, and the team vanishes when you ask for help.

What to do: First, work with your boss to clearly delineate your responsibilities. Then, take a look at what kind of duties your team members are trying to unload. If theres something you can successfully adopt that will help bolster your chances for recognition (or even promotion), dont hesitate to give it your all. Its important to carefully manage your workload, thoughtaking on additional responsibilities will reflect poorly on you if you fail to meet your objectives.

About the Author:
PMAlliance, Inc. is a project management consulting, project management training and project office development company.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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