ArpitGarg's Weblog

We find all sorts of people at a workplace. Some are workaholics, some are if-asked-will-do, some are don’t-want-to-work, some are don’t-do-just-speak and yet others are don’t-do-but-hog-limelight. The list is endless. If you have worked in a modern workplace, you would know what I am saying.

Most of the people we work with are sincere people. Come to office, do average work, go home. Very few are workaholics, who slog, taking ownership. There are quite a lot who are a tortoise; they remain hidden in their shell, don’t-come-to-limelight-don’t-get-work types. All three types fall in good to not-harmful category of employees. They create a good mix of employees for a firm with huge workforce.

However there are few people who don’t like to work but try to project that they are the ones who keep the machine running. They are who I call call-champs. They sleep during other times, but when there are calls, they come alive and eat everyone else’s hard work. They are the ones detrimental to the workplace and have tendency to enrage and dampen spirits of even the most hardworking employees.

But that’s not what I want to talk about today. I want to talk about what emerging leaders should do while dealing with a varied workforce. Lot many of us who are average to hard working, get annoyed with people who we see idling around but still managing to get promoted and getting bonuses. Most of us tend to switch jobs rather than continue with such people. But what we forget is we will find similar people wherever we go. How to handle things?

First of all have faith in your capabilities, things get evened out eventually. Right now might feel like the walls are closing in, but believe me you will be fine in the long run. Most important thing is not to get annoyed by such people. I must admit, at times I have been guilty of the same. But hey, that’s how we all learn, right? Never change yourself for bad. Few of us would try to ape these smart-ass people and try to change ourselves. Bad idea! Never change who you are for temporary issues. Time would have passed but you would have changed permanently, not for good. Keep a sane head to work through such times. Keep your personality and ethics intact. After all we are there for the long haul, not instant adulation.

Next step is to admit your own shortcomings. In a workplace to grow, along with work, leadership, communication skills and charisma is required. You have to internalize this truth, however alien it might sound. Work on your communication skills, become more vocal. The work that you do, unless you are able to project it, get it known, is not of any importance. Feel proud of your work and develop habit of communicating what you have done. Consider communication part of the work, until communicated, work is unfinished. It is a slow and gradual process. But you will reach there eventually.

There are times, when the blood boils, seeing the smart-ass people hogging limelight, without doing any work. Important is to keep calm in such situations. Don’t become part of the cribbing gang, who get together over drinks and crib about these smart characters. It won’t help any but will only make you more negative in your approach. You have to understand the pathetic and banal life of people who show off. Look through them; know that they themselves are  not happy. If you start seeing the meaningless life of, sadness and fear in such people, you will never grudge them. Everyone is trying to earn bread for his/her family, in whatever way they can. The sooner you understand that, the better.

Most important is not to let the good inside you die due to what is happening around. Once dead it’s not possible to revive.