There are different types of colleagues who deserve respect, and each needs different kinds of support. Let’s start with those who take on the most essential but messy and convoluted problems.
These people don’t need to be found - everyone in the team and company knows them. They regularly venture into dangerous and dark territory, and their triumphant returns become legendary.
Their main personal problem is that they’re constantly surrounded by negativity. Yes, it’s their choice - they willingly take on areas where everything is broken. But even the most competent and motivated people can have their morale worn down by constant negativity.
That’s why it’s crucial to teach people to see the good even in bad situations. The simplest way is to help them focus not on the point “everything is bad” but on the vector “things are getting slightly better.”
Sometimes seeing the good isn’t enough - some problems are just too complex. That’s when a crisis hits the team, because pulling someone out of that whirlpool of negativity requires collective effort. To properly resolve such crises, several colleagues need to:
- Voluntarily reach out
- Listen without judgment
- Help practically
- Hold back unnecessary advice
- Allow temporary work on something else
If no one comes to help, the crisis ends with the painful realization that you’re not a real team - just a group of people who happen to be in the same place at the same time.
The good news? You can build a real team - if you know how.
