Work Place Survival

 It's been a mundane day because someone smirked at the uncouth chipped nail paint the first thing in the morning. It has been troubling you all day that your shirt is too tight today, you have given it several thoughts all day that you should have changed it before rushing out of your house, you were anyways on time, you didn't like the way people stared at you all day. You had been in a hurry and made a blunder, it completely skipped your mind that you had to submit the documents today. 

Maybe you should not have had that drink in the evening and overslept. 

How many days pass without such inhibitions and judgments that we pass on ourselves. Hiding from colleagues who body shame you or are always watching you more observantly than even their croissant that's getting heated in the pantry? How many times have we regretted all day wearing something tight not uncomfortable? Judgmental about the eyeliner, the shirt bobbins, the coffee stain, the chipped nail paint …?

The workplace is where a maximum of us spend more than 8 hours of our day, Our days begin with and end with this space. The people around us really do make a lot of difference but what can we do if we can't change these people or live with them.

8years of my life I have struggled to finally strategize and work out certain ground rules of peace at the workspace. 

Magic Rules 

Be friendly not friends 

You cant have friends in the workspace. Most corporates will not encourage new relationships developing among fresh couples. It's a trigger-warning for them.  You are not looking for an alliance for sure and have come to develop your companies profits. Your new love or flings are distractions and hence you better keep that hanky panky outside the workspace. If you are just a friend even that might be not what is well appreciated. Cos friends prefer taking off on the same days to hang out, that's a production cut. If you are planning a job hop it will be one plus one and more such triggers are what Hr's are alert about.

Your friend may tomorrow become the manager and then conversations will change. Further, you may get a raise and your friend will not appreciate the unfairness. 

Personal life and Professional life -keep it separate

You can be friendly, good and jovial but sharing your personal life .....think about it! Your personal life and emotions are what can be manipulated at any level by anyone. Those are your weakness and never expose that part. Avoid too many catch-ups with colleagues outside work, avoid sharing FB and Instagram, and other social platforms. Maintain being a personal person. You will always feel this urge to share your happiness like I am getting married; we booked our first car, and so on. Control your emotions, your financial and personal progress.

Work Ethics 

Be polite to all but be assertive when it comes to rules and your personal ethics.

Avoid personal comments, flattery, flirting. 

Keep appreciation as a priority for all.

Do not gossip or be a part of gossip.

finish work on time not too ahead not late.

Plan your leaves, don't take obvious offs days. For sick leaves always try providing medical prescriptions.

Make regular notes of your achievements and contributions. Share these during reviews. Get appreciations over email. Do not hesitate to suggest planned ideas and strategies that will overall increase the production or profit. 

Your company is not supposed to know your challenges they only are focusing on your performance. You need to discuss challenges as a priority. Hiding such things usually will land you in a compromising situation every time. In turn making, you feel very exploited. 

Use extra hours or long breaks to create useful /sustainable tools for everyone's benefit. It can just be creating a stressbuster corner. But you're ensuring that you bring in positivity, showing efforts, and actually providing solutions to those matters which usually the company doesn't want to get involved but want to be solved.

Always explain a controversial situation from the point of view of an employee of the company, not the customer. You need to understand that your employer may have faulty rules or poor planning skills. But you were not recruited to show them their faults rather perform your part with competency.

Keep conversations pleasant with everyone. Listen more speak less and don't advise where your advice is just not needed.

You may be burdened with work, you can always check with your supervisor which job should be done on priority, which explains that your hands are full and someone might be given a part of the jobs pending.

Use your email for creating documentation of conversations, changes decided, and minutes of the meeting.

Whether your organization is planned and organized or not you keep yourself organized at all times.

spend weekends and holidays with laptops completely shut down and files not touched. It is the must rule that needs to be followed.

I will share the rules of happiness at work for teachers in my next blog. Till then stay energetic, positive, and love yourself.