Category : workplace culture

“You are how you dress” sounds a little harsh when it comes to workplace attire, but the truth is how you present yourself at work will influence the way you’re treated and the way people perceive you.

The variables can be difficult to navigate. And the task becomes even more complicated when you throw in things like the proverbial casual Friday and other events where dress codes change.

Part of the problem with dress codes is that every company interprets the terms differently. For instance, heading to work at Apple means putting on an Apple t-shirt and the rest is up to you. A reporter may have to dress in slacks, a dress shirt and tie at one paper while being allowed to sport jeans and a polo in a different newsroom.

We’re going to spend the next two posts unraveling the world of workplace dress codes, relying on the opinions and insights of popular HR and business websites.

Dress Code: The Definition

Dress codes can be like speeding laws. Some people approach them as rigid while others see them as suggestions rather than decrees. Given the non-confrontational manner of most workers today, you can see how the meaning of dress codes can become fuzzy when employees and managers fail to enforce the rules.

We’re going to go with human-resources website The Balance’s definition of dress code:

“A dress code is a set of standards that companies develop to help provide their employees with guidance about what is appropriate to wear to work. The formality of the workplace dress code is normally determined by the number of interactions employees have with customers or clients.”

We like the aspect of customer interaction here, because we agree with the notion that clients dictate dress code. Let’s use Starbucks as an example. People go there for coffee and food and an employee’s clothing rarely influences whether a customer wants to buy a product. And, the product is relatively inexpensive as most items can be had for less than $5.

On the other hand, if you’re handling multi-million dollar mutual funds pitched to C-level workers, shorts, a polo shirt and a green apron would be embarrassingly out of place. Suits –tailored, designer suits – are a must, as are great shoes, a nice watch and a stylish tie.

Particularly in sales environments, dress codes will be tailored to the client. One wrong color or accessory could lose a huge sale so the details are important.

“Depending on the organization, the dress code may be written in great detail, or, in the case of a casual dress code, very little detail is necessary,” The Balance’s Susan Heathfield wrote. “Over the years, employees have seen a shift towards a more casual dress standard, even in industries that were previously very formal.”

Heathfield does well to point out the shift to a more casual workplace; startups with insanely high valuations are packed with twentysomethings wearing jeans and t-shirts.

And that brings us to our next section, the two types of dress codes.

The Two Main Dress Code Options: Formal and Casual

Every workplace you encounter will have some form of a dress code, and that code will usually follow two schools of thought: business formal or business casual.

Business Formal

Business formal attire is the classic suit-and-tie you’re probably envisioning. In a sample dress code document, The Balance talks about some of the classic guidelines you should include in formal dress-code policy.

“Business attire for men includes suits, sports jackets and pants that are typical of business formal attire at work,” their sample document says. “For women, business attire includes pant and skirt suits and sports jackets appropriate to a formal business attire environment.”

Again, each company has flexibility with the level of detail in these dress codes. In high-level sales positions, there could be specific rules about the type of suit and tie you wear, or perhaps the type of watch you wear.

Either way, the goal here is to present the company as professional, intelligent and meticulous; dressing accordingly can reinforce your organization’s strengths and focus.

Each employee has the freedom to navigate the dress code within the parameters the company sets forth.

For example, Canada’s McMaster University points out that the darker the suit, the more formal. As for the dress shirt or blouse beneath, white, blue and beige are go-to, “safe” colors. Here are some other solid strategies:

• Women’s jackets should range between ¾ length or short sleeve, depending on the season.
• Crop pant suits are okay, but shouldn’t be worn during an interview
• Men should avoid bold colors or patters in dress shirts.
• In a three-piece suit, always match the vest’s material and color with the jacket and slacks.

Read Our Next Post for Business Casual Guidelines…

In the second part of our series on workplace dress codes, we’ll talk about the guidelines for business casual. We’ll learn why your dress code affects more than your customers’ first impressions; it can create a clash between the company’s desired direction and its culture.

In our hyper meme-ified world, there’s rarely a motivational or inspirational saying that doesn’t end up in our Facebook feed. Here’s a sampling of some of the classics:

• To be a champ, you have to believe in yourself when nobody else will.
• Nothing worth having comes easy.
• Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.
• Today I will do what others won’t so tomorrow I can do what others can’t.

You might even have some of these sayings framed on your wall with the accompanying photo of an eagle soaring across a cloud-smattered sky. And we don’t blame you. After fighting your way through morning traffic, spilling coffee on your new tie and realizing you forgot your phone, you need a little inspiration. Or is it motivation?

While the concepts of inspiration and motivation might seem interchangeable, the two words have very distinct meanings. That meaning may not be important to the average person, but understanding the nuances between the two words isn’t just about semantics; it’s about understanding the relationship between what you want to accomplish and how you get your team to accomplish it.

Motivation is Something That Comes from Within

Have you ever met someone who was truly motivated? What did you notice about them? One thing probably stood out to you – their seemingly endless well of determination and belief in their goals. Both of those factors come from within a person. You look inward to find the idea catalyst to drive your outward life.

This past August, the world converged on Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Summer Olympics. The men’s marathon took place on the final day of competition. Galen Rupp, Jared Ward and Meb Keflezighi represented the United States in the race.

Keflezighi had won silver several Olympics ago and was the only runner in the group with a medal. The day was rainy and wet. The runners took off and after a few miles it was obvious that something was off about the normally steady Keflezighi.

About halfway through the race he threw up, and then he did it six more times. Somehow, he finished the race in 33^rd place. Rupp won bronze and Ward finished sixth.

As Keflezighi approached the finish line, he slipped and fell on the wet road. Before standing back up, he pounded out a few push-ups, got to his feet and crossed the finish line amid the cheers of a boisterous crowd.

After the race, the veteran runner explained what happened.

“About halfway through, I threw up. I think I did it seven times during the race. But you know what? There are no excuses. This is the best of the best,” he said.

Meb’s race was the perfect example of motivation instead of inspiration. He wasn’t looking to something outside himself to push him to the finish. He didn’t wait for another runner to come and console him in order to get to the finish line.

He knew the stakes of the race, he knew his body’s limits and he knew he had to finish the race at all costs. That is a prime example of motivation. His strength came from within.

Think about that in relation to your workplace. Sometimes reward systems are great for motivating employees, but in our current workplace environment, employees tend to value space – breathing room to build relationships, let their creativity flow and gain a certain level of meaning and significance from what they’re doing.

In 2009, TED Talk speaker Dan Pink gave an excellent presentation on the science and sociology behind motivation:

Inspiration is Something That Comes from Outside Oneself

There’s a scene in Ron Howard’s epic movie Cinderella Man where the protagonist, tough-as-nails New Jersey boxer Jim Braddock, is fighting his way to a title bout when he meets his match in a younger, stronger boxer.

In the middle of the bout, his opponent unleashes a monstrous right that catches Braddock flush on the face. The crowd rises up in shock; they can’t believe Braddock is going to fall to the mat.

A strange thing happens, though. Braddock doesn’t fall, although his mouthpiece tumbles across the floor and comes to rest amid the chaos.

The grisly fighter has flashbacks to the effects of the Great Depression: his hungry kids, an empty milk rack, and, finally, the image of an empty house after his wife is forced to send their kids to a relative’s house because the Braddocks can’t afford to pay their electricity bill.

Here’s the clip:

This is a classic example of inspiration – Braddock looked to his family’s worst times to push him to stay on his feet, keep fighting and earn a paycheck. The bout went on and, as history has it, Braddock won and continued on his journey to become the heavyweight champion.

Conclusions: Why Traditional Methods Need to Be Changed

Earlier we mentioned that today’s workforce is more concerned about value and significance than ever before. In many cases, trying traditional methods of motivation and inspiration don’t work like they did a decade or two ago.

In fact, you could even make the case that incentive programs are archaic in the sense that they’re used as motivational tools when they’re actually, by definition, inspirational tools. They’re an outside force that spurs on the individual or team.

So, take a moment to think about what your employees really need from you. How can you inspire them to greatness? In many cases, sharing your own personal battles with success and leadership can be a huge help. Transparency is of great value these days; respect is earned through relationship, not through reverence.

While it is almost the end of summer, it’s never too late to start catching up on a good read. Most people tend to stick to the usual genres: romance, suspense, cops and robbers or classical works.

We’re going to take a look at some business-minded books, however, the kind of stuff that’s interesting to read and highly applicable to your work life.

These books are aimed at identifying gaps in workflow management between teams as well as individuals, while also encouraging workers to identify their strengths and weaknesses to help improve their personal development and overall work environment.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, Patrick Lencioni

Learning your team’s dynamic is essential to building a cohesive and productive unit. However, it usually takes time to figure out what makes each person tick as well as what will motivate them to perform at their full potential.

The question then becomes, “What methods or best practices are available to help determine how to overcome dysfunction.”

Written as a business fable, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, aims to address why teams become dysfunctional as well as how to acknowledge flaws and inadequacies in order to create a purposeful work environment.

Lencioni establishes that there are five main “dysfunctions” that lead to an unproductive group dynamic:

• Absence of trust
• Fear of conflict
• Lack of commitment
• Avoidance of accountability
• Inattention to results of the collective

Lencioni explains that when teams strive to understand and accept their inadequacies they can conquer any internal or external strife they may face.

Now, Discover Your Strengths: How to Develop Your Talents and Those of the People You Manage, Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton

Figuring out where your talents lie can be a difficult task, to say the least. However, there are some great tools out there to help people and companies identify what their aptitudes are and how to best utilize them.

Discover Your Strengths is a Hall of Famer among books in this genre. The authors’ main goal is to help each person discover their strengths through an online or written test.

In contrast to The Five Dysfunctions of a Teams, Buckingham and Clifton encourage their readers to focus primarily on the strengths one has rather than struggle to conquer one’s own weaknesses.

Buckingham and Clifton argue that when group members focus on their strengths, they can position themselves into roles and tasks they know they would be well-suited for.

In essence, the desired end result would be developing desired attributes in each member to improve overall team efficiency while also minimizing employee turnover.

The Leadership Challenge: How To Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations, James Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner

In The Leadership Challenge, authors James Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner aim to train leaders to use a hybrid of both The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and StrengthsFinder.

To accomplish this, they encourage their readers to develop their “practices of leadership.” They advise leaders to lead by example, develop a core vision everyone can work toward and inspire members to think creatively to solve problems.

Part of this process includes a StrengthsFinder-style quiz called the Leadership Practices Inventory, which helps assess a leader’s strengths, weaknesses and efficiencies.

Kouzes and Posner also urge leaders to build a system of confidence in their subordinates that lets them come into their own without micro-managing them.

The leadership gurus believe that high quality leaders must be taught to lead with humility and honesty, rather than rely solely on natural talents.

Wrapping It Up: How These Books Can Transform Your Team

In short, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, StrengthsFinder and The Leadership Challenge all seek to answer the question of how to minimize dysfunction in the workplace, improve productivity and morale.

At the same time, they probe what makes an efficient, respectable leader who is willing to think outside the box to better his employees and company without compromising their convictions.

Personal development and work culture go hand in hand. As summer comes to an end, take stock of where you have been and where you need to go as a company.

This introspection will help your company or workforce better manage the day-to-day stress as well as encourage all team members to strive to better themselves, no matter what weaknesses or talents they exhibit.

What does it take to succeed?

It’s a question that has the power to captivate just about anybody, whether it be a small business leader, an up-and-coming employee or an Olympic athlete.

Thankfully, we live in a time where information abounds. Small- and big-business leaders are generous with their time, in many cases, and are willing to talk with major publications, blogs and websites to share their story.

We found that while many success stories are inspiring in a rock-star kind of way, there tend to be some pretty serious lessons that underpin all the glamour of big paydays and huge buyouts.

These lessons are like the pumps, belts and tubes under the hood of a car. They don’t look particularly cool and you rarely see them, but they’re what make the vehicle go.

This month we sifted through numerous articles and posts to dig up some of these lessons.

Lesson #1: Big Decisions Require Patience, Not Haste

Growth is huge for startups. Investors want to know how many clients or downloads you have. Reporters want to know how much capital you raised in your last round. Customers want to see social media hype.

When growth is the focus, patience tends to take a back seat to innovation and release deadlines. However, when it comes to the big decisions, don’t be afraid to take a day or two to ponder decisions you don’t feel comfortable making.

Chet Kapoor, CEO of Apigee, a San Francisco-based API management company, said learning to hit the pause button on a big decision is an essential part of his business philosophy.

“Making important decisions – a defining responsibility of any leader – sometimes requires patience,” he said in a 2015 interview with Fast Company. “If I’m not comfortable with a big decision, I wait a day or two.”

During that time, he said, he gives the decision “the gift of time.” He doesn’t use the extra days to do more research, collect and analyze data or review the positives and negatives of the decision.

“Often, with a little time and patience, the decision will manifest itself clearly,” he said.

Lesson #2: Trust Your Team

When you’re used to running the show – having all the answers, solving all the problems, etc. – your initial instinct is not to let your team work out the issues your product or campaign is facing.

That philosophy may work in specific situations, but if you’re the source of all solutions and answers, you’ll quickly find that your power is limited. But having limitations isn’t a bad thing, said Yee Lee, a startup guru whose recent projects include lending startup Vouch.

His words offer a sharp sting to those of us who’ve become self-reliant.

“It is much harder, but more empowering for your team, to hold your tongue on your own ideas and keep asking questions until your team comes up with the answers themselves,” he said.

Part of trusting your team is making sure you hire trustworthy people. In a 2015 article for Business Insider, contributor Jayson DeMers talked about trustworthiness.

“The first step is to hire trustworthy people – people who are honest, open and self-motivated enough to work for the good of the company,” he said. “But beyond that, it’s your responsibility to create a culture and an atmosphere that encourages both honesty and co-dependence.”

It’s normal for us to struggle with this concept of co-dependence and honesty, but if our manager-employee interactions are viewed in the context of relationship, then “honesty” and “co-dependence” begin to make a lot of sense.

And, as many a wizened platitude attest, relationships are pretty difficult to maintain without trust.

Lesson #3: Keep Calm and Carry On

There’s a scene in the NBC classic The Office where fomenter Dwight Schrute throws a cigarette in a trash can full of paper and lighter fluid in order to test the office’s ability to respond to a fire.

Michael Scott, the hapless boss, responds by saying, “Everybody stay calm.” He repeats the phrase once more, then his tone changes and he screams, “Everybody stay the (bleep) calm!”

Minutes later, Scott abandons all hope as he yells, “Okay, we’re trapped. Everyone for himself!” Chaos ensues.

It’s a hilarious example, no doubt, but it points to the power of a leader to dictate the way his or her team responds to unexpected moments.

Lauren Asilis, president of travel company Travelwise, said part of her company’s success has come through her recognition that steady nerves lead well.

“Although you have to trust people, you must be prepared to expect any kind of negative situation and keep calm and focused on your goal,” Asilis said in an interview with Success.com.

The TED network of thinkers and speakers has become a powerful international movement inspiring individuals to think deeply and challenge themselves.

But for all the lofty ideas thrown around at TED conferences and satellite meetings, the talks have a surprisingly practical aspect to them.

What does that mean for the average employee who feels stuck, limited or ingrained in an unconquerable rut? Hope.

Idealistic as it sounds, just one faint glimmer of greatness can rekindle our motivation. And that’s exactly what some of the best TED talks do.

We’ve compiled a list of four TED talks we think everyone should watch. The idea is not just for you to be entertained, but to be challenged by these insightful speakers.

Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation

For the longest time, employee incentive programs, cash bonuses, raises and promotions were the ways that management motivated their employees to work hard and produce results. They’re still a popular method of lighting a fire within their employees.

However, as Dan Pink points out, the modern worker isn’t the same as his or her counterpart from decades past; something deeper is going on. Because of this, Pink believes that employers should start looking differently at motivation, going beyond tangible rewards and unearthing the power of themes like autonomy, passion and value.

Elizabeth Gilbert: Your Elusive Creative Genius

We often think that “creative genius” is, first, not us; but we also go on to think of the typical brilliant artist as a transcendent person who has this amazing level of perspective in whatever they do. They are, we think, exactly what it means to be a genius.

Isn’t it interesting, though, that we see many of these outstanding artists lead tormented lives? Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love, explores the notion of the tormented artist and gets us thinking about genius not as an entity in us, but as an identity in us with whom we dialogue, wrestle and converse.

It’s a heady concept, but for writers, designers and other art-related fields, it’s an enlightening concept that can cut down on our creative angst.

Shawn Achor: The Happy Secret to Better Work

We’ve got happiness all wrong. You see, most of us think that if we just work harder and get promoted we’ll reach a state of contentment that will make the grind worth it.

But, Achor says, what if we flip that mentality around? What if happiness is actually what makes us work harder and get promoted?

As Dan Pink says, “Achor argues that, actually, happiness inspires us to be more productive”.”

The matter of happiness gets down to perception, Achor says in his talk.

“We’re finding it’s not necessarily the reality that shapes us, but the lens through which your brain views the world that shapes your reality,” he said.

In a practical scenario, Achor points out that a recent study of hired applicants revealed that 25 percent of their job success was based on their IQ. The other 75 percent? Optimism levels.

Nigel Marsh: How to Make Work-Life Balance Work

“Work-life balance” seems like a mythical standard, doesn’t it?

We always hear the phrase tossed around more as a punch line than anything else. And since our smartphones are always within reach, it really is difficult to disconnect from what’s happening in the office.

But, as you probably know from your own experience, the more your work takes over your home life, the less like “home” your house or apartment actually feels. And that’s where Nigel Marsh comes in.

This is one of the first things he says during his brief, 10-minute presentation:

“The trouble is, so many people talk so much rubbish about work-life balance,” he said. “All the discussions about flexi-time or dress-down Fridays or paternity leave only serve to mask the core issue, which is that certain job and career choices are fundamentally incompatible with being meaningfully engaged on a day-to-day basis with a young family.”

If you’ve been longing for some balance in your life, this talk by Marsh may be the ticket to the equilibrium you’ve been seeking.

Every manager’s dream is to have an office that runs like a well-oiled machine.

But offices have changed over the past decade, haven’t they? While in-house teams still exist and are the core of most businesses, more and more organizations are hiring freelancers to handle a significant share of the workload.

On top of that, certain positions like programming allow employees to work from home part of the time. Where does that leave the average office these days? In the middle of an organizational mess, if they aren’t deliberate about keeping communication clear and fluid.

Thankfully, startups and established companies have recognized this need. The app market is teeming with organizational apps that, as the old saying goes, put everyone on the same page.

Basecamp

Basecamp is one of the original productivity software companies. They’ve been in business for 12 years and, according to their website, they’ve had more than 100,000 companies sign up for their services. They claim to provide the world’s best project management software, which makes sense considering how long they’ve been in business.

Their platform is available through a web browser and as an Android or Apple app. Currently, Basecamp’s Android app gets 3.9 stars from 401 reviews in the Google Play store.

Some of the most recent reviews of the app highlight how Basecamp is fluid and simple. One commenter said, “My team uses it every day to manage all kinds of projects.”

A 2015 PC Mag review of Basecamp echoed the “simple” advantage, but also noted that Basecamp can be too simple at times.

“The service remains simple to use and quick to set up, but it’s not nearly as robust as other online project management solutions,” PC Mag wrote, giving Basecamp 3 (the most current version) a rating of 3.5 out of 5.

Design-wise, Basecamp falls a little short. Their tan color scheme is a little outdated, but it’s a reflection of the basic nature of the software: straightforward, easy-to-use and popular with a wide variety of companies.

Basecamp fees: $29 per month for your in-house team, $79 per month to work with clients, $3,000 per year for a 2TB enterprise solution. There is also a free version.

Asana

If Basecamp is the bare-bones version of project management focused on substance over style, Asana is the sleeker, sexier counterpart in the project management narrative. Asana was founded in 2008 and officially launched in 2011 by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz.

Like Basecamp, you can access Asana through your web browser or through their Android and Apple apps. Asana gets a 4.1 rating in the Google Play store.

One reviewer pointed out the design side of Asana, saying, “I love the UI of this app, such a pleasure to the eyes.”

Our experience with Asana is in line with that reviewer’s sentiments. Visually, it’s light years ahead of basecamp. The platform’s browser app achieves a clean look by hiding specific details about a project until you click on that project. In this sense, Asana feels a little more orderly than Basecamp, where there are checklists galore that result in a somewhat busy screen.

Asana’s emphasis on the user experience won the company PC Mag’s Editors’ Choice award. The publication gave the project management tool 4.5 stars.

According to the review, Asana boasts “a thoughtful and attractive design, fluid interactive elements, and generous team-member allotment in its free version.”

These features put it “among the most powerful productivity apps on the market.”

Asana fees: Free for up to 15 users on one team or $8.33 per member per month for unlimited use of features by an unlimited number of people.

Slack

Slack is the newcomer to the big three of project management apps with an August 2013 release. Their claim to fame? The team that manages the Mars Curiosity Rover is one of their clients.

Slack employs browser and app functionality just like Asana and Basecamp. One of the great features about the platform is that it integrates Google Drive and Dropbox, two of the most popular cloud storage services on the market. These integrations are native, unlike Basecamp, where you have to install a plugin in order to sync with Google Drive.

Reviewers on Slack’s Google Play page gave the project management tool 4.4 stars, with one reviewer noting how easy it is to share files through Google docs, to switch between team members during communication and to share emojis.

PC Mag gave Slack the Editor’s Choice award like they did for Asana. The star rating? 4.0, just half a star behind Asana.

We believe that Slack got a lower score than Asana because it’s more difficult to learn than its two counterparts. Reviewers on Google Play and the PC Mag reviewer noted that the platform isn’t very intuitive.

“Make no mistake, Slack takes some learning, with an adjustment period of hours if you’re lucky, or in my case, a few weeks,” reviewer Jill Duffy wrote.

And there’s one more thing: Slack is ideal as a way to communicate with your teammates (it has streams and messaging kind of like Facebook) but it doesn’t have the project-management capabilities of an Asana or Basecamp.

As Duffy wrote, if you think your current project management system provides sufficient communication tools, you probably don’t need Slack.

Our impressions? Slack is the newest app in the growing world of project management and project communication tools. Don’t mistake it as a pure management platform; consider it a powerful communication platform with tremendous tools for refining and organization the information you see about your project team.

Slack Fees: Free, $8 for their Standard package and $15 per month for their Plus package. An enterprise solution will be available later this year.

Wrapping It Up: An Overview

If you’re looking for a time-tested product used by millions of people, then Basecamp is probably the best fit for you. They’ve been in business for 12 years, have a long list of plug-ins you can use to enhance your project management tools and their interface is simple.

However, if Basecamp’s bland design isn’t quite your style, Asana is an excellent option. Though it doesn’t have the same size customer base and is considerably newer than Basecamp, it has received high marks for ease-of-use and clean design.

However, let’s say you’re set on the project management side but you’re looking for a tool that can keep communication between team members focused, streamlined and fun. If that describes your situation, Slack is a great tool.

Say what you want about the importance of choosing the right office furniture for your company. Even the best chairs and desks can’t curb the effects of bad relationships.

Employees can tolerate Spartan office accommodations, but bad blood and conflict between colleagues are stressors that can push people away from their work. And it’s not just bad relationships. Gossip perpetuates the pain, distance or frustration an employee may be experiencing.

Here’s the good news: Bad relationships don’t have to remain that way. We’ve compiled a list of four tips to help you improve your workplace relationships. These tried-and-true bits of wisdom are a solid foundation for boosting morale. We are, after all, relational beings, right?

A little courtesy goes a long way

For most of us, office relationships are mostly limited to a quick “hello.” Even if we ask “How’s it going?” we don’t’ really expect a genuine response. We expect a reply like “Good, you?”

We’re not saying you need to become the nonstop chit-chatter of the office; nobody likes the person who can’t keep quiet. But we are suggesting, as Tech Republic writer Scott Matteson said in a 2013 article, that you should make an effort to connect with your coworkers.

“Make eye contact and refer to people by name,” Matteson wrote. “This is the oil that keeps the engine of cooperation running smoothly.”

As you know, courtesy is more than just polite conversation and eye contact. One place where a courteous gesture is often lacking is the coffee pot. Either the pot is empty or half-full of stale coffee. And if it’s not one of those two, the pot itself is coated in residue from dozens of brew cycles.

A simple refill or pot cleaning benefits your coffee cravings, but it’s also a nice gesture for your colleagues.

Share the glory

We all hope our bosses see our hard work and reward it; nothing wrong with that. But when we start taking credit for team efforts, our relationships can sour quicker than you can imagine.

Doing so gets at the heart of what most of us want from others: appreciation. We’ve all been in those positions where we work extra hours, solve problems under our own initiative and produce work that’s above and beyond what was expected of us.

In this situation, the last thing you want is a supervisor or team leader taking all the credit. When that happens, your work is cheapened and disrespected.

So, when you have a chance to elevate the work of your colleagues rather than cheapen it, take advantage of the opportunity.

As Kelly Services wrote in a recent article about coworker interactions, “it’s fair to share credit with others who’ve worked on a project with you or who assist you in other ways. Plus, when people feel respected, it helps create better working relationships in the future.”

Focus on clear communication

Have you ever been in one of those meetings where the person leading seems totally unprepared, and what was supposed to be an on-point, 10-minute briefing turns into a 30-minute whirlwind of rabbit trails and wandering thoughts?

Like most people, you probably hated the fact you were wasting time in a meeting rather than working on projects at your desk. Here’s the question: How would you make the meeting go faster?

Our guess is that you’d be more prepared and definitely more focused. And you’re right.

Kelly Services highlights this when they talked about communication in a recent post.

“If you’re going to a meeting or have to give a presentation,” they said. “Note your points and arguments ahead of time and review them shortly before the event.”

Also, think about who you’re talking to when you lead a meeting or have a one-on-one. Personality types (introvert/extrovert) as well as if they’re creative or analytical should influence how you craft what you’re going to say.

Knowing when not to talk shop

As employers look for new ways to build a better team mentality and morale, encouraging employees to mingle outside of work has become more popular.

Company-sponsored events at a pre-determined location or a spontaneous happy hour get-together are two ways employees can build stronger relationships.

The catch here is that it’s pretty tough not to talk about work when you’re hanging out with people from work. But if relationships need to get stronger, complaining about new policies or bad bosses during happy hour isn’t really going to cut it.

Getting around this is as simple as barring work talk from an event. But be savvy here – you don’t want to act like a dictator trying to quash complaints and criticism. You want to create an environment where team members can express their personality in a way that reveals more of who they are outside of work.

Forbes contributor Nicole Liloia put it this way: “Making friends with your co-workers and spending time with them outside of work can also lead to better relationships in the workplace.”