I recently had a co-worker turn in her resignation. During my co-worker’s good-bye party, I began reflecting on how certain people are only in our lives for a short time. I know you’ve heard people talk about “seasons of life”, but I think there are also “seasons of co-workers”. People come and go during pivotal times in our careers- each providing us with a valuable lesson if we are paying attention.
THE FOUR SEASONS OF CO-WORKERS
I love spring and fall. Those seasons are just right- not too hot and not too cold. Spring is a time for planting, blooming and growing. Fall is a time to harvest and reap the benefits of hard work. However, winter and summer are a different story! The extreme heat during summer and frozen temperatures during winter inhibit things from renewing or flourishing.
“Seasons of co-workers” is the same concept. There were times in my career when I was surrounded by fantastic co-workers. Times when employees worked as a cohesive team, co-workers were true friends and when the boss was a fantastic, supportive leader. As my co-workers and I were blooming, growing and supporting each other, we met our individual and organizational goals. We reaped the benefits of hard work through monetary bonuses and promotions. Those were spring and fall times.
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On the other hand, there have been seasons of co- workers that were nothing but summer and winter. Some co-workers were argumentative and hateful. The work environment was hot and miserable every day just like summer in Texas! I have also had seasons of winter where my co-workers were cold, self-serving and not team players. Working with them was just as brutal.
Length of seasons of co-workers can vary. Some seasons can last years and other times the season only lasts a few months. Everyone prefers to have a spring or fall season of co-workers, but each season has its own valuable lessons.
Winter
A season of winter with co-workers is harsh. Co-workers who are selfish and cold-hearted create an unhappy work environment. They do not care about how their actions and attitudes impact their fellow co-workers. There is backstabbing, lying and cut-throat competition. Cold, untrusting and mean-spirited would best describe the work environment. It’s been my experience that these co-workers typically move on and leave the organization after less than a year of employment, either by choice or sometimes by termination.
Seasons of Winter taught me to be more respectful and mindful of others’ feelings. I follow the Golden Rule and treat others as I want to be treated. I am far from perfect, but I try to be considerate of my coworkers feelings when making a decision or speaking my mind. Show your co-workers they can trust you and rely on you through your words and actions.
Spring
Spring is a time for planting, blooming and growing. During this season, co-workers work as a team and work towards a common goal. You identify your strengths and weaknesses, but also find co-workers who compliment those strengths and offset those weaknesses. Individual and organizational goals are achieved during great time of cohesiveness. My happiest career moments came during seasons of spring with my co-workers. I have been fortunate enough to have had several spring seasons that lasted a couple of years at a time. What a joyous and productive time at work. We all worked as one unit, met our goals and were rewarded for our hard work. I learned the value of teamwork, achieving goals, good friendships and a happy work environment.
Summer
Summer is another tough season of co-workers. Working with argumentative, negative and whinny co-workers taught me patience, the value of gratitude and the power of positivity. Positivity was the technique I used each time my negative co-worker came to complain. I realized how powerful and exhausting negativity could be while slowly eating away any joy from my co-workers. Negativity spreads quickly and must be eliminated. Positivity counteracts that negativity. I learned to search for the bright-side of any situation. It’s not always easy to find the silver lining, but I know I do not want to live a life filled with negativity or regret.
Fall
Fall is a season of reaping the benefits of hard work and planting seeds for future rewards. Some of your hard work is not fully realized until months later. Fall is similar to spring. Co-workers work together as a team and reap the benefits of their hard work. Gratitude is a lesson I learned during this season of co-workers. I learned to be thankful for such a good team, kind co-workers and great working environment.
What season of co-workers are you in?
If you are in a Spring or Fall season of co-workers, be thankful! Pay attention to your environment and co-workers. What is making it so enjoyable and pleasant? What can you do to maintain that enjoyable environment as new co-workers come on board and old co-workers leave? Strive to create the best work environment possible.
If you are stuck in an unfortunate season of winter or summer, I challenge you to find the lesson in the situation. Find the bright-side. If you are in a leadership position and can impact change, look for ways to improve the environment. Better communication, team building exercises, policy changes or even removing certain employees can have an immediate impact on the work environment and productivity.
If you are not in a management position, look for things you can do on an individual basis to positively impact the work environment. Are you part of the solution or part of the problem? How do you interact with your co-workers? Are you kind and courteous? Respectful, reliable and honest? Small actions and changes in behavior can lead to big changes in the workplace.
Seasons Will Change
Even if you are stuck in a bad season of co-workers, remember it is only temporary. Just like real seasons, seasons of co-workers will change. Look for the lesson so you will know how to better navigate that season again in the future.
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