APU Careers Careers & Learning

Choose Your Battles at Work Wisely

By J. Mason
Online Career Tips Editor

There are times when your work relationships closely mimic your personal ones. We’ve all heard about “work wives” and “work husbands”, and the dynamic with those is similar to a spouse. The difference though is that if you get into a fight at work you could lose your job, instead of just sleeping on the couch. Here is where you need to exercise good judgement and choose your battles wisely.

Having your own opinion is one thing, telling someone their opinion is wrong without evidence to back it up is another. While you can disagree with a co-worker, or work spouse, it’s better to smartly choose the timing of this. For example, you should stick to company-related issues and decide whether it’s worth bringing up. The article “How to Disagree with Your Boss – Without Losing Your Job” gives some great tips for avoiding an immature tiff with management. Unless you want to come across as combative, stick with disagreements that benefit your work and your colleagues. If something isn’t working, tell them why and offer a resolution. Know when you need to go head-to-head with your boss over an issue. Check on your end to see if it’s easily resolved with a few tweaks, or enlist the help of a co-worker.

Keep your work marriage on steady ground by keeping a cool head. We can all be rubbed the wrong way by a work friend or colleague, but that doesn’t give you free reign to start a battle over it. Make your point and move on!

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