People Are Work
What do you remember from your workday?
By André van Heerden, Communications Director
When I get home from work and my wife asks about my workday, I’ve noticed that a lot of times my answer doesn’t have much to do with actual work. It has to do with the people that I interact with.
People are interesting and everyone has a different story. And no matter what we do, the more that we can learn to work well with others, the better it is for ourselves, our work, and whomever we’re working for.
Business consultant and author Donald T. Miller teaches that “the best leaders never stop learning about the people.”
Actor and comedian Stephen Mangan comments, “I spent six years touring the world playing Shakespeare, Moliere, Shaw, Goldsmith. . . . But I slowly came to realise that the people you are working with are as important as the parts you play, and that there were lots of interesting people working in film and T.V.”
The very popular TV series The Office focused on the employees who worked at Dunder Mifflin, a fictitious paper company. The work at the paper company provided little to the story other than a setting.
What made the show interesting and entertaining were the different characters working at the company and how they interacted. Audiences returned week after week not to see how the company was doing but rather if Jim and Pam would date, who would feel Dwight’s scorn, or what crazy leadership idea Michael Scott would champion.
While it’s unlikely that anyone actually works at an office quite like Dunder Mifflin, it’s a certainty that people work with other people, and that we’re all unique and have distinct stories and perspectives. And that’s what makes life—and often work—interesting.
Which is why every one of us would do better to become more of a people person. Whether you’re a computer programmer, a crane operator, or the greeting person at a retail store, all of our work and lives can be improved by being better with people.
We might be painfully shy, or grumpy, or laser-focused, but we’ll still have to deal with people. The better the interactions, the better everyone does.
Author and publisher Tim O’Reilly said that “my original business model—I actually wrote this down—was ‘interesting work for interesting people.’”
Controversial author Henry Miller advised, “Develop an interest in life as you see it; the people, things, literature, music—the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls, and interesting people. Forget yourself.”
Office social events like staff potlucks, Christmas parties, or fun competitions may seem counterproductive to actual work, but studies show that “workplace fun, as a management strategy, helps employees enhance their physical and psychological wellness.”
A key component for all these social events is connecting with fellow employees. In staff surveys about these events, employees consistently rate “time spent with coworkers” as the most important and enjoyable part of them.
Famous journalist and news anchor Diane Sawyer observed that “every time somebody tries to go in and reinvent what we do, it always ends up being more about technology and sets, and flash and dash, forgetting the main thing, which is interesting people saying interesting, important things.”
Working with people may actually feel like tough work at times. I’m sure the gang from Dunder Mifflin would agree. But that effort may be one of the best ways to improve your performance at work—and your enjoyment of it.