Although 2020 was not an ideal year for many, it was an excellent opportunity to reflect upon yourself. Take the following advice from your career coach as a starting point. Looking for the changes which you would like to see, a great place to start is in your school or workplace. The relationships which we hold with the people in our professional settings are a great place for change. So here is some advice to strengthen your relationships and yourself.

Praise the people around you. In some professional circles, there is less of an emphasis on using verbal praise to uplift your fellow employee. There is a fear with praise may come criticism or perhaps that the praise is misinterpreted. But if there is an opportunity to genuinely praise someone’s hard work, it is a great time to foster that relationship. Giving someone who is working alongside you a word of encouragement, builds trust, and comradery. A stronger team leads to higher productivity in any setting.

Pause and Think. When it comes to facing challenges, especially alongside coworkers, stress can cause you to react in anger. You must take the time to think before saying something hurtful to a coworker. In a moment of stress, before you say something try to ask yourself, “Is what I am about to say productive?” If the answer is no, maybe you need to take a quick break before responding. Avoiding reacting will help you in the long run.

Take Responsibility.  Career coaches will always stress this point to their clients. There will be many opportunities for you to take credit for accomplishing a goal or advancing your team forward. However, you will inevitably make a mistake. It is important to also take responsibility for those mistakes. Taking responsibility allows you to promote a safe environment for your co-worker and teammates. Cultivating a safe space with other coworkers, only boosts creativity.

Value yourself. In our quest to keep everyone happy, we deplete ourselves. It is important to always prioritize to complete your tasks. Equate this with the classic airplane example of placing an oxygen mask on yourself before your child. It is vital to be operating at your full capacity before trying to help others. When you are not stressed about your assignments, you can focus on helping others. This way you can objectively work to help your team solve problems.

Consider all angles. Take it from your career coach, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes is always a helpful tool. When coming to a rough patch or disagreement with a coworker, it important to consider their point of view. In many conflicts, miscommunication can breed a large amount of misunderstanding. It is central to be receptive to all points of view in any interaction but it is valuable to listen harder when there is a dispute with a team member.

Be the best you. With challenges, comes opportunities to be the best version of yourself. Obstacles allow you to showcase your leadership abilities. In the most stressful and unpredictable careers, people adapt. Working with others may mean being creative to interact successfully with certain teammates. People are unpredictable, but demonstrating your flexibility will help maintain positive relationships with the people around you.