How Your Workplace Can be Your Biggest Teacher

My business coach had once asked me to list everything I was looking for in a man. 

Easy enough I thought…

My list was both comprehensive and specific, and I proudly set a high standard of what I expected based on my ideals. 

My business coach read the list with a wry smile and said, “Great, now who do you need to become in order to have someone like that in your life?”

Wait… what?

Oh, you mean I have a responsibility in how I am showing up in this world (insert sigh here)?

 

It’s Not You, It’s Me

It’s easy, isn’t it, to look at others and want them to behave and act in a way you want, usually based on your own limited understanding of them, without being more aware of how you are actually showing up in any given situation. 

In a workplace context, how many people do you work with, seem to rub you the wrong way or their behaviour disappoints you in some way? It is going to happen, we are all human. 

But it is how we deal with it that matters.

 

Living in The Land of Blame

At work, organisations have certain obligations and responsibilities to their employees, such as fair remuneration, safe working conditions, positive work culture etc… but sometimes we forget about what our responsibility is as a human being at work and how we show up. 

Unfortunately, being human also means that sometimes we love holding onto our stories, tales of injustice and wrong doings. What’s more, sometimes the culture of the organisation supports a victim mentality, making it even more difficult to rise above negative behaviours and create a healthier environment both individually and collectively. 

But if you want your workplace be different, the people you work with to be different and the work itself to be different, then maybe it is time you stopped looking outside of yourself and do your own self investigation on how you are showing up at work. 

 

You Are in Control of Your own Circumstances 

You get to decide how you choose to frame each experience you have at work.

It is not your boss.

It is not your workplace.

It is not the people you work with.

It is not your customers.

If you want things to change it is completely up to YOU!

 

What we Don’t Know, Immensely Outweighs What we do Know

I believe we have a lot to learn about ourselves through experiencing the challenges we have with other people and the circumstances we find ourselves in. Let your triggers be your teacher. At the same time, you do not have to be a victim and stay in the current circumstance if it is damaging or not serving you. 

This is where emotional awareness can really help support us in understanding our behaviour and the behaviour of those around us. While some people are emotionally intelligent and can regulate their own emotions, for many of us, being triggered by someone at work can send us into all sorts of unconscious reactions that we are not even aware of.

Learning to observe your thoughts and getting curious about your reactions is a great place to start. 

Depending on the relationship and the dynamic, in each individual we are meeting:

  • Their core beliefs about who they are and what you should be to them

People’s behaviour is a reflection about how they feel about themselves. 

 

Here’s the Thing 

People’s behaviour is a reflection about how they feel about themselves. 

So my question to you is, how are showing up at work?

How are you reacting in certain situations or with certain people?

If you are wanting something to change at work, who do you need to be and how do you need to show up in order for that to happen?

Sometimes we would rather complain and stay stuck than get uncomfortable and change, even when our heart is calling us to something greater?

Everything is a choice.

Be open and receptive at looking at things differently …we don’t know what we don’t know.

Being uncomfortable and coming up against challenges is all part of being human. The question is….

Will you allow these experiences to help shape you into becoming a more empowered and happier human? 

Join the workplace revolution

Get in touch to start your workplace connection journey today.