Have you ever noticed when eating at a restaurant that the waiter waits for you to order before serving your entree to you? Can you imagine if the waiter just dumped a bunch of food in front of you and expected you to eat (and pay for) whatever he brought to your table?
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You: “Um, excuse me…I’m allergic to shellfish and you brought me clams, mussels and scallops!”
Waiter: “That’s what I’m giving you today! That will be $25.99 plus tax, please. Have a nice day.”
Let me ask you another question: Have you ever worked with someone who just seemed to talk to you, whether you wanted her to or not? You know the person who seemed to ignore the fact that you have ten files on your desk, multiple windows open on your computer, the voice mail light flashing on your phone and a “to-do” list a mile long.
Here’s another question . . . have you ever been that person? Are you that person now?
Have you ever thought about your effect on people? I mean, we’re very aware of the effect that people have on us, but have you ever thought about the impact that your style of relating has on others?
The nature of the multifamily industry means that you will have to deal with people every day! And if you’re a temporary employee the odds are good that your co-workers will change pretty often. That makes it very important for you to be able to connect effectively with a lot of different kinds of people.
If you want to connect with the people that you work with, it helps to know and understand when and how to engage them in conversations. While we all like to chat, some times are simply better than others, right?
I worked someone who always seemed to corner me at the wrong time with a long conversation. She would go on about everything from her weekend, the idiot boyfriend, her family, the dog, and, well, you get the picture! I liked her to begin with, but over time I started avoiding her just so I wouldn’t get sucked in!
Just like the waiter story at the beginning of this post, consider thinking of the conversation process with your co-workers as a lot like ordering food in a restaurant.
Let your co-workers view the communication “menu,” and then see what they’re in the mood for. If it’s a five course meal, take the time and enjoy it with them. If they only have time (or want time) for appetizers and a drink, don’t go ordering soup, salad, breadsticks, appetizers, and dessert. If they just want something from the “to go” menu, don’t try to convince them to have a sit down meal!
You see where I’m going with this? A smart waiter waits for the diner to choose from the menu before bringing the food out! A smart team member does the same. (Trust me, your co-workers will thank you!)
(A modified version of this post originally appeared on www.RelationshipDifference.com)
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