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What I mean by that is you get some people who refrain from being chatty with co-workers, or are introverted and prefer to isolate themselves, or who refrain from networking. these are suicidal in the workplace.
I often think that work performance is holistic. It is a lot more than simply producing good quality work, or a high quantity of good quality work. People who isolate themselves will not be considered for promotional opportunities, since a manager has to be skilled in communication, whether to his/her subordinates, his/her co-managers (so to speak) or to his/her superiors (senior/top management). S/he also has to use politics to his/her advantage, resolve/manage conflicts and disputes, etc. The holistic part of work performance is how a worker conducts him/herself on the job, how they relate to people, even how they dress.
OK, some people may not care about promotions or getting ahead, but even still this does not mean one shouldn't say hello to co-workers, or go to lunch with them when possible. Human nature is that people connect to others who warm to them.
Do you isolate yourself in your workplace? if so, why?
It just might be their nature in general. Do you think some internet forum posters might be introverted in person but interactive when online anonymously? Some people are shy.
Also, sharing information, while good for teamwork, also reduces the sharer's value. The more unique information you know, the more valuable you are. If everyone knows your information then you are more expendable.
I do not go out of my way to socialize with coworkers in or outside of the office unless it's someone I just really hit it off with. But I do have plenty of opportunities to to showcase the quality of my work in meetings, teamworking and interoffice communciations. I am just not a water cooler gal, or let's-do-lunch type, never have been.
One size does not fit all. It is not necessary, or even advisable, to be too close to coworkers. The best working relationships have boundaries.
Is it nice to have lunch with coworkers or hit a happy hour now and then? Yes. But it is not a prerequisite for career advancement. In fact, you assume too much when you assume that everyone wants to be a manager. Nothing could be further from the truth. Writers want to write, scientists want to engage in science, police want to do police work.
And don't forget that some of us *cough* work at home, alone, and are perfectly fine with it. I can only speak for myself, but working at home, alone, without the constant interruptions of chatty coworkers who want to take up my time with their content-free speech is something I worked 20 years to attain. Not having to be in an office is the ultimate advancement for me.
I think Charles goes too far, however, in implying that sharing information devalues a worker. That's usually how middle managers who are insecure in their positions think. A good manager leads by example, but also takes time to ensure that his or her underlings have not only the equipment, but knowledge they need to succeed. Open communication and transparency can only lead to successful project management.
But by and large, when it comes to chit-chat, "Hey, hi, how was your weekend, great," is all that's necessary. Your boss, coworkers, and underlings do not need to know the details of your private life.
What about an entire department that does that? I work with a few guys that, as a group, isolate themselves from the rest of the company. They keep to themselves, don't really socialize with anyone else and I'm kind of thought of as the 'liaison' between my department and the rest of the company. They are also very vocal in wanting nothing to do with any other part of the business.
[snipped] I often think that work performance is holistic. It is a lot more than simply producing good quality work, or a high quantity of good quality work. People who isolate themselves will not be considered for promotional opportunities, since a manager has to be skilled in communication, whether to his/her subordinates, his/her co-managers (so to speak) or to his/her superiors (senior/top management). S/he also has to use politics to his/her advantage, resolve/manage conflicts and disputes, etc.
[snipped]
Good [potential] managers mostly communicate at the business
level, not the gossip level. Within some organizations, some
departments will appear to be "a family", in that everyone seems
to know everyone else's personal business. Although it would seem
to be all "warm and fuzzy" in that type of environment, I'd prefer
it to be a bit more business structured, where there are distinct
boundaries of business and personal. I'm fairly outgoing, but in
this situation, I'd be a bit more reserved and not be involved in
the personal end of things.
You will often find that getting too close leads to conflicts often. A nice business friendly relationship is I think best. Often one being too close to others actually limits their being promoted or lead to problems if they endup supervising these same people.Its the business communications that really count and that does not mean you have too be too close to those you work with.
There needs to be a balance. You can be an introvert, but cordial. Sometimes, being too much of an introvert can hurt you in the workforce as there are a lot of people who will get too personal with others and those "other" people use the information you tell them to hurt you.
I consider myself an extrovert. Sometimes, the problem with being introverted or extroverted is that we tend to take it to the hilt; meaning, we let our hair down as in extrovert and run our mouths too much and wind up rubbing people the wrong way or providing them with information that can make us look bad. Or, we are too introverted and come off as snobbish or a social moron.
It just might be their nature in general. Do you think some internet forum posters might be introverted in person but interactive when online anonymously? Some people are shy.
Also, sharing information, while good for teamwork, also reduces the sharer's value. The more unique information you know, the more valuable you are. If everyone knows your information then you are more expendable.
It also makes it impossible for you to switch to another gig because you're the guy with that knowledge and the company can't afford to have you move on to other work.
Maybe people don't socialize with co-workers because they are super competitive and would rather think of ways of showing them up instead of hanging out with them?
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