Co-Workers can be Treated as Internal Customers

A happy workforce = an enthusiastic and productive work environment! Don’t forget customers can be within your own organization. Be mindful of how you speak with your co-workers!

Here’s 5 ways to be conscious of how you speak to YOUR colleagues at work….

1. Shrinking Responsibility – “That’s not my problem/job” is a sure way to bring negativity and resentment to your colleagues. Try and go above and beyond your job role. If you can’t assist, rationally explain why it wasn’t possible for you to take up the task.
2. Pointing the finger – Instead of saying “It’s not my fault” you just need to lay out the facts in a professional manner and then let your boss take the decision.
3. Using unnecessary ‘fancy’ language. We’ve all heard the phrases “Take it to the next level” “It’s a paradigm shift” “Think outside the box”… It’s high time you retire these tired clichés which can make your co-workers cringe. Make your language clear, simple and to the point, your co-workers will thank you in the end! An example of this is instead of using the phrase “low hanging fruit” referring to a task which can be easily completed without too much effort, thus maximizing the returns when compared to the work being put in. You can make it simpler by saying that “the task can be done without too much fuss and returns can be maximized because…”

Treating your co-workers and/or staff as internal customers will ultimately result in increased productivity and happy employees. Want to take it to the next level? BARE can work alongside your top management to design targeted employee workshops based on key data collection and analysis following the execution of a customized research program. By basing all material on insights driven by assessment of your unique company, BARE can ensure that each workshop is a worthwhile use of your management and employees’ time that will translate into measurable improvements. To find out more on BARE International’s Employee Commitment Toolkit, click here.