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Getting On With People

New job, new people. But will they be friends or just workmates?

Watch the video of Soaps talking to Dr. Phil

Human beings are a social lot. They thrive in company. And it doesn't take long for a few individuals to bond as a group. Look at our trainees. Six months ago, they didn't know each other. Now they're old friends.

They're happy messing around and having a laugh together, sometimes to Dr Phil's dismay. They're giving Soaps some decent careers advice – don't let your social life get in the way of your career. They're sticking up for Greg - we need him, we want him back. They're pulling together as a team. Something that was difficult to imagine at the start of Bricking It. So what's made the difference?

No choice
It's unlikely that our trainees would have come together without Bricking It. It's been a bit of a roller-coaster but they've learnt an important lesson. You can choose your friends but you can't choose your workmates. You have to work with the people you're told to work with whether you like them or not.

Time and effort
Our trainees have also discovered that fitting in and getting along with people at work takes time. And that it tests your social skills. You have to make an effort. People might be older or younger than you. They might have different standards. They might come from a different background and have different interests. Often the only obvious thing that you have in common is that you work for the same organisation.

Self control
You can't afford to let your personal feelings get in the way at work. It sours the atmosphere. It causes resentment and arguments. It makes people grumpy and negative. They spend their time bickering, backbiting and blaming rather than getting on with things. Life gets difficult and people dread coming in to work.

How to smooth the way
Some behaviour makes it easier than others to fit into a work team. It's generally easier if you:

treat everyone with the same friendly respect – good manners get you places
remember that you're there to work – making friends is nice but not essential
pitch in – laziness offends
accept that everyone's different – variety is the spice of life
avoid taking sides – 'them' and 'us' is divisive
watch what you say – nothing's confidential and juicy gossip and rumours spread like wildfire
steer clear of politics and religion – they're guaranteed to raise the emotional temperature
avoid workplace romances – relationships, especially failed ones, complicate things
keep a sense of fun – it lightens the atmosphere
when something's over, forget it – bearing grudges is a no-no
leave attention seeking to others – it attracts trouble.

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Getting On With People

Pulling Together

Lasting Impressions

It's Your Choice

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Dealing with Conflict