What qualities make a great co-worker?

One important take away that I’ve gained is the opportunity to work with and for a wide variety of personalities. The culture, people, and management styles that I’ve experienced in each division are as different as the divisions and departments themselves.

Through this experience, I’ve worked with some talented, brilliant, and hardworking individuals. One thing that I’ve noticed is that being a good employee is not always enough, it is also imperative to be a good co-worker as well. When pondering what qualities make a great co-worker, I think back to one of the many great co-workers that I’ve had the opportunity to work with and summarize a few important qualities below:

1. Have a positive attitude. Coming into work each day with a smile and a “good morning” are qualities that bring good energy into a department. Keeping complaints about day-to-day tasks and activities to a minimum also makes you enjoyable to be around.
2. Don’t wear your emotions on your sleeve. Although you may think of your co-workers as your friends, it’s important to realize that the workplace isn’t the best place to share your personal problems. If you’re having a bad day, there’s no need to take it out on your co-workers in a meeting.
3. Teach. The best co-workers with whom I’ve worked don’t just give me an answer or pull the information that I’ve requested, they’re able to communicate how they got to the answer or where the information is located. If you know how to do something that no one else in your department knows how to do, share the knowledge!
4. Be reliable. If you say you’re going to do something, do it! If you become busy and need more time, follow up with your co-worker and keep them updated on the status.
5. Give credit where credit is due. If a co-worker helps you with a project, be sure to acknowledge them. One of the best co-workers I’ve had was much more experienced than I, but when I helped him with an important project, he was sure to acknowledge my hard work to our management team. Although he taught me along the way, the fact that he was willing to acknowledge that I did the grunt work only increased my respect for him.

-Kelly Eckert
Financial Analyst, Intermediate