When you are seeking approval from other people because you want a promotion or you want to move your desk or just simply are trying to get people in your office to like you more – these five tricks are ones that you could try out. Easy to use and easy to learn, these simple tactics will help improve your daily interactions tenfold.
1) Stop judging others
Unless you are working as a judge for an event, judging others less will help people like you a lot more. It is not always your place to tell people when they are wrong or right, or to judge them for their actions – especially if their actions did not involve or affect you. Learning to listen rather than give your input when a co-worker talks about the partying they did over the weekend will get you much further than arguing with them about whether or not they should have done something. Plus, especially in regards to events that have already happened, if you can’t change something that already happened – you will just be arguing for no reason.
2) Ask and Listen
When you are trying to get to know someone or get along with people, asking them questions about themselves is a surefire way to get the agreements moving along. The key here, however, is to listen to their responses. You cannot ask people about themselves without taking the time to listen to what they say back, otherwise you nullify the original intention. Ask your co-workers about their day, and then listen to their responses. Once again, you don’t necessarily need to give input – but show you genuinely care about them.
3) Remember
Once you’ve asked people about their lives, try not to forget that their little brother is visiting for the weekend. If you are able to remember the details of someone’s life, they will like you a lot more than the person who still can’t remember how to pronounce their name. Remembering a small detail can take you a long way with people.
4) Relax
Joking around and hanging out with your co-workers is important to earning their trust and respect – which are intrinsic to them liking you. If you are the stuffy person in the office who always has their headphones in, ignoring the world around them… you are much less likely to get your co-workers to like you. Try relaxing a bit and taking your lunch break with one of your co-workers every now and then. You may be surprised at the results.
5) Be kind
Finally, the easiest way to get people to like you is to be kind to them. Don’t give them a reason to dislike you. Be hospitable. Offer them coffee or invite them when you make a run to Starbucks. A little bit of kindness can go a long way. You never know – it may be the first smile your coworker has seen all day and it may lift their mood incredibly if you just take the time to extend a kind hand their way every day.