While isolation may be the favored environment for maximum productivity, it lends itself to misunderstanding and development of potential problems with co-workers and family. When others don't understand why you are secluding yourself, the possibility exists for unintended consequences. I'm going to tell you how I learned this lesson in interpersonal communication.
Generally speaking I'm a pleasant co-worker. I can get along with just about anyone, and I enjoy being around other people. When engaged with others and focused on a task I do my part to foster a pleasant environment for all. In doing so, I tend to talk and interact in the interest of maintaining favorable working relationships, as well as accomplishing the intended outcome.
When I'm in production mode I'm serious about getting my work done; I know when to "zip it" and it's distracting to me when others won't do the same. So to remedy the problem of being distracted I would frequently seclude myself in my office. It was always a very productive time, and when I was finished there was time for conversation. That pattern, however, became the problem.
I didn't realize what I was doing. It was not acceptable for others to interrupt or distract me from my tasks, but I was inflicting the same inconvenience on others whenever I barged in on them once my job was done. When I was made aware of how inconsiderate I was being, it made an impression on me. I certainly didn't want my co-workers to think of me that way.
As a remedy, I became sensitive to the others and their workloads. It was not difficult to stay away and alow them time to complete their work, or at least to get to a stopping point where striking up a conversation would not be a distraction. As you can tell, this entire event made an impression on me, an impression that needed to be made.
Once this oversight had been pointed out, others around me agreed that I was a frequent offender on this charge. When they began to point to specific occasions, sadly of which I was unaware, I realized that my routine was not good. I didn't know I was being selfish. I thought I was just chatting.
I thought it was easy for others to stop what they were doing, shift gears and focus on what I wanted to talk about, not allowing them the courtesy of being uninterrupted with their thoughts. Once I corrected the behavior and started being more considerate of my workmates' need for quiet, as a team we all were more productive and more productive more frequently.
Generally speaking I'm a pleasant co-worker. I can get along with just about anyone, and I enjoy being around other people. When engaged with others and focused on a task I do my part to foster a pleasant environment for all. In doing so, I tend to talk and interact in the interest of maintaining favorable working relationships, as well as accomplishing the intended outcome.
When I'm in production mode I'm serious about getting my work done; I know when to "zip it" and it's distracting to me when others won't do the same. So to remedy the problem of being distracted I would frequently seclude myself in my office. It was always a very productive time, and when I was finished there was time for conversation. That pattern, however, became the problem.
I didn't realize what I was doing. It was not acceptable for others to interrupt or distract me from my tasks, but I was inflicting the same inconvenience on others whenever I barged in on them once my job was done. When I was made aware of how inconsiderate I was being, it made an impression on me. I certainly didn't want my co-workers to think of me that way.
As a remedy, I became sensitive to the others and their workloads. It was not difficult to stay away and alow them time to complete their work, or at least to get to a stopping point where striking up a conversation would not be a distraction. As you can tell, this entire event made an impression on me, an impression that needed to be made.
Once this oversight had been pointed out, others around me agreed that I was a frequent offender on this charge. When they began to point to specific occasions, sadly of which I was unaware, I realized that my routine was not good. I didn't know I was being selfish. I thought I was just chatting.
I thought it was easy for others to stop what they were doing, shift gears and focus on what I wanted to talk about, not allowing them the courtesy of being uninterrupted with their thoughts. Once I corrected the behavior and started being more considerate of my workmates' need for quiet, as a team we all were more productive and more productive more frequently.
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