When co-workers become work influencers
In this article we explain the internal influence co-workers have between each other and its positive impact on our work.
Working day by day and performing our tasks is influenced by many factors. Some of them are related to ourselves: how we feel, what we are going through, our knowledge and previous training, how updated we are, our experience, and so on. Others are external to ourselves but impact us directly, such as our coworkers, our relationship with them, the way they do their jobs and how this, altogether, influences us.
Gabriela García, Quality Assurance Analyst in our team, explains there are people that are influencers or references at work. “It is great when one has references that encourage one to improve day to day both professionally and personally. They guide one and it is up to each person to absorb it or not”, explains Gabriela. This may happen spontaneously by a team mate that suggests others ways to do things to ameliorate how they do their work, how they solve the problems or difficulties they face, and what they do to achieve their goals. Otherwise, it may occur when someone needs help and someone else does not only offer it but manages to solve and add value to whatever situation the other person was undergoing or trying to sort out. According to a study carried out in Gettysburg College, “Past research has indicated that relationships, involvement, and supportiveness have an effect on job satisfaction and performance” (Occhipinti, Rollo & Klimowicz, 2018).
Co-workers cannot only influence others by explaining to them how they can do better or sort out things, but they can also influence by example. Again, it is up to each person to choose to learn about others, to observe how they manage to do their jobs, how they interact with others, how they face difficulties and so on. “Sometimes, one may be struggling with something and does not know how to work it out. Then, someone else, without noticing it, may act naturally and show one a way to deal with it and manage it in an innovative and effective way”, says García.
Sometimes, co-workers and leaders show us we can be good at something we have not thought of. Even though we may be focused on specific tasks related to our role, if someone else sees we have the necessary skills for something else, they may open the door for us to perform it and influence us in a different way. In these cases, influence usually comes from people in our teams, but influence may come from people with whom we do not share the same team or project. This usually occurs by modeling, when we see the way someone works and observe positive attitudes and characteristics to copy in the way we work. This may happen to us too, we may influence someone else’s way to work without noticing it, or may help someone that was struggling with something and did not know how to handle it.
As briefly mentioned earlier, this work influence does not only depend on the will one has to learn from others and acquire skills or knowledge, but also on the will leaders and co-workers have to share their knowledge, perspectives as well as the chance to open the door for new work possibilities for others. Influence depends on mutual interactions and an active energy to learn, teach, and be able to leave egos aside.
Influencing us positively is really important for us, we understand it is an indicator of a healthy environment to work at and a positive teamwork. In addition to this, we consider it is not something minor that these influences that add value to our work are taking place naturally despite the fact that we work at a distance and do not share the same workplace, which would favor these kinds of influences. It is extremely favorable that they continue happening. The fact that they still happen and our teammates still take advantage of them to improve their work and their colleagues’ shows a positive and united team of people who do not work in isolation. This ameliorates the way we perform in our projects and the way we develop digital products, as we work prioritizing the best possible work, for ourselves and our team mates, and have excellent high quality digital products as a result.
Sources
Occhipinti, S., Rollo, N. & Kilmowicz, E. (2018, septiembre). The Effects of Coworker Relationships, Involvement, and Supportiveness on Job Satisfaction and Performance. Cupola. Recuperado 28 de septiembre de 2022, de https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1688&context=student_scholarship