Demystifying likeability traps at work

Author: Sumona Chetia

Is it important to be liked at work? What do you do if someone doesn’t like you?

You can’t be friends with everyone at work. Newsflash!

Being genuine and getting along with everybody at work is a human trait, but it is also a fact that not everybody will like you all the time. Going out of your way to coddle everyone to like you is a waste of effort and your productivity at work. Instead, adopt healthy likeability practices to maintain your stable and positive interactions at work because we lose our authenticity when we are governed by what others feel.

Healthy likeability practices

Do your job

  • As simple as it sounds. Complete your deliverables, attend meetings and do whatever you promised on time because work at the office is interconnected. You falling behind deadlines shouldn’t impact someone else’s work.

Practice active listening

  • Active listening at the workplace is essential for creating positive relationships, understanding tasks and establishing trust.

Lend a helping hand

  • Offer assistance if your teammate is swamped with work leading up to a deadline.

Get rid of gossip

  • Gossips are a waste of time, productivity and trust.

Communicate empathetically

  • Communicate with empathy to understand other people’s emotions.

Unhealthy likeability practices

Offer unauthentic flatter

  • Offering unauthentic flatter to get liked doesn’t help anyone.

Allow microaggressions and jokes at you

  • Encouraging offensive jokes and microaggressions directed at you are not healthy.

Pose as too agreeable and accommodating

  • Speak up and push back when you don’t agree with what others are thinking.

Apologize constantly (even if not at fault)

  • Over-apologizing can stem from being too hard on yourself and the constant urge to please people.

Blur professional and personal boundaries

  • Not maintaining professional and personal boundaries can be tricky when a fall-out happens.

You shouldn’t worry about not being liked at work. Focus on the meaningful relationships at work that offers constructive criticism and start getting ahead in your career.