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PSYC 126
PERSONALITY ENHANCEMENT
Chapter 7 COMMUNICATING WITH COWORKERS AND SUPERVISORS
Fitting In and Getting Along
 Good human relations skills improve communication,
increase productivity, and make the work environment
more pleasant.
 You will not be successful if you cannot fit in and get along
with others.
 When workplace relationships are positive, even heavy
workloads or tight schedules can seem less burdensome.
Positive Traits to Acquire
 Cheerfulness is a state of mind, or an “inner attitude.” A
cheerful person communicates a good spirit and dispels
gloom.
 Sense of Humor can help you cope better with pain,
enhance your immune system, reduce stress, and even
help you live longer.
 Tact is the ability to say or do the right thing without
hurting another person’s feelings. Tact is sensitivity to
what is appropriate in dealing with others, including the
ability to speak or act without offending others.
 Empathy is the ability to look at situations through the
eyes of others—“to walk in another’s shoes.” It has two
components—recognizing another’s feelings (a perception
skill) and responding to those feelings (a communication
skill).
 Dependability, by being as good as your word, meeting
deadlines, and being at work every day and on time.
 Resourcefulness, to use creativity and ingenuity to resolve
the problem or deal with the situation.
 Team Spirit, when you commit to company and
department goals and cultivate positive relationships with
others.
RELATIONSHIP BUILDERS
To form positive relationships with your coworkers:
 Focus on your work, not on what others are doing.
 If you have a problem with someone, talk with that
person—not everyone else in the workplace.
 Don’t use your coworkers as therapists.
 Treat others as you would like to be treated.
 Don’t brag about your salary, promotion, children, or
possessions.
 Avoid monopolizing shared equipment.
 Look for favorable qualities in others.
 Return items that you borrow.
 Don’t manage your personal life at work. Pay bills, place
online orders, and talk to your friends on your own time.
 Be as good as your word. If you say you will do something,
do it.
 Understand the limits of your authority and stay within
your boundaries.
Negative Traits to Avoid
 Resentment is a feeling of displeasure, ill will, and deep
anger over something you believe (correctly or incorrectly)
to be a wrong or an insult to you.
o Action + Enjoyment – Resentment = Proper
Perspective
 Irritating habits are “little things,” but in a busy work
environment where many people are stressed, an irritating
habit may put someone “over the edge.”
 Envy and Jealousy: Resentfully desiring something that
someone else has is called envy. Jealousy is a feeling of
rivalry toward one who you believe has an advantage over
you.
 Self-pity is feeling sorry for yourself without looking at the
good things in life.
Workplace Grapevine
 Gossip distracts workers, wastes valuable work time,
causes anxiety and can result in hurtful rumors. Gossip
tends to surface when people are curious about a situation
and the facts are not available. When this happens,
speculation begins and the informal communication
network known as the “grapevine” goes into action.
Becoming a Team Player
 Team is an identifiable group of people who are
committed to a common purpose for which they hold
themselves accountable.
 Teamwork refers to people working together
cooperatively to accomplish established team goals and
objectives.
What Makes a Team Effective?
 Group Ownership
 Open Communication
 Clear Leadership
TEAMS IN THE WORKPLACE
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Provides for a larger pool of
ideas.
Some individuals are not
compatible with teamwork.
Results in more work being
accomplished in less time and in
better quality products.
Team commitments may
overshadow personal desires.
Interaction among team
members enhances the
knowledge of the whole team.
Management may recognize
group achievement rather than
individual achievement.
The potential exists for greater
acceptance and understanding
of team-made decisions.
Workers must be selected to fit
the team as well as have the job
skills required.
Less experienced workers have
the opportunity to learn from
more experienced workers.
Needless meetings may result in
wasted time.
Helps all workers grow by
exposing them to more
viewpoints.
“free-riding” on teams may
occur.
Team commitment may
stimulate performance,
motivation, and attendance.
One person’s negativity can
demoralize an entire team.

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What is a Team Player?
Team player is someone who emphasizes group accomplishments
and cooperation rather than individual achievement.
 Committed to a Common Goal
 Shares Information, Ideas, and Praise
 Cooperates and Supports
 Embraces Change
What is a Virtual Team?
A virtual team is a group of people physically separated by time
and/or space and whose members primarily interact electronically in
cyberspace.
Working with Your Supervisor
A supervisor is an employee whose key responsibility is to ensure
that the employees being supervised—sometimes called the
supervisor’s direct reports or subordinates—produce the assigned
amount of work on time and within acceptable levels of quality.
How Do You View Your Supervisor?
Leadership Styles is the method a supervisor uses to manage and
communicate with people who directly report to him or her.
 The Laissez-Faire Leader gives responsibility to employees
to carry out their duties without a great deal of direction
or close supervision.
 The Democratic Leader encourages employees to
participate in the management process.
 The Autocratic Leader is an “in charge” person who
exercises unlimited power or authority.
What Your Supervisor Expects of You?
 Accountability
 Dependability
 Loyalty
 Enthusiasm
 Adaptability
RELATIONSHIP BUILDERS
To form a positive relationship with your supervisor:
 Keep your supervisor informed of the progress of your
work.
 Be aware of your supervisor’s expectations, strengths,
weaknesses, and leadership styles.
 Do not try to change your supervisor. Try to adapt to his or
her leadership style.
 Know your supervisor’s goals and understand how your
job contributes to meeting those goals.
 Be sure that your priorities are in agreement with those of
your supervisor.
 Ask for feedback on your job performance.
 Be honest about problems and admit your mistakes.
 Avoid wasting your supervisor’s time with things you can
handle yourself.
 Be flexible and open to new technologies and changing
priorities.
Special Situations
 Sharing Your Ideas
 Calling Attention to Problems—and Alternative Solutions
What to Expect of Your Supervisor?
 Clear Performance Expectations
o Job description
 Proper Materials and Equipment
 Performance Evaluations
 Recognition
Communicating Electronically
 E-MAIL
o Proper Use of E-Mails
 Organize your thoughts
 Use the subject line effectively
 Keep the message brief and to the
point
 Be conscious of the tone
 Be informal, not sloppy
 Use short paragraphs and blank lines
between each paragraph
 Proofread the message before hitting
“Send”
 Make sure attachments are attached
 Include a signature block
 Do not send inappropriate messages
 Do not include usernames, passwords,
credit card information, or social
security numbers.
o E-Mail Etiquette
 Respond quickly
 Be considerate
 Consider file size
 Be sparing with group e-mail
 Do not send chain letters, virus
warnings, or junk mail
 Avoid using the “high priority,”
“urgent,” and “important” flags
 Avoid using abbreviations and
emoticons
 Text Messaging and Voicemail
o Text Messaging (or texting) is a term for sending
short messages (160 characters or fewer,
including spaces) from a mobile device to a cwll
phone, PDA, or pager.
 Keep your messages brief
 Be patient
 Remember that text messages are not
private
 Text at appropriate times
o Voicemail is a centralized electronic system of
managing telephone messages for a large group
of people. Used broadly, the term voicemail

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refers to any system of sending, receiving, and
storing voice messages, including answering
machines.
 Record a clear, concise, and
professional message.
 Leave clear, succinct, and professional
messages for others.
 Repeat your contact information.
 Re-record your message if you don’t
feel you have communicated clearly.
 After an absence (momentary or
longer), check your messages
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
 The following traits are essential to fit in and get along in
the workplace: cheerfulness, a sense of humor, tact,
empathy, dependability, resourcefulness, and team spirit.
Negative traits to avoid include resentment, irritating
habits, envy, jealousy, and self-pity.
 Gossip is a form of workplace communication. Verify the
accuracy of the information and do not pass along
information that may be hurtful to another.
 Characteristics of an effective team are group
understanding, open, communication, and clear
leadership.
 Team players know their role and embrace team goals.
They share information, support each other, and are
flexible.
 Members of a virtual team interact electronically for the
most part.
 Know your supervisor’s leadership style (laissez-faire,
democratic, or autocratic) and the characteristics of that
style.
 Supervisors expect employees to be accountable,
dependable, loyal, enthusiastic, and adaptable.
 Employees expect supervisors to provide clear
expectations for the work, appropriate equipment and
materials, fair performance evaluations, and recognition
when deserved.
 E-mail, text messaging, and voicemail are essential
communication tools. Use appropriate etiquette when
using these tools to ensure their effective and proper use.
Reference:
Masters, L.A., et al. (2011). Personal Development for Work and Life.
Cengage Learning Asia Pte. Ltd.
Prepared by:
Mrs. Maria Angela L. Diopol
Instructor