Entering the World of Work

Chapter 11: Getting Along With Others

Smart Tips

Real-World Connection
Your list of slang words can include words you know from school, work, and from being with your friends. Some of your words might include words like cool, bad, chill, sweet, neat, rad. If you do not want to write and/or perform a hip-hop song, you can write something different. You can write a poem about slang, an essay, or draw a cartoon.
         Your song, poem, essay, or cartoon should show that slang should not be used in the workplace.

Point of View
Think about how Kiona responded to Bebe's attitude. Perhaps Kiona and her co-workers might have confronted Bebe in a negative way and caused an eruption in the workplace. Instead, Kiona used her own belief in peaceful resolution to talk with Bebe.
         Thing about how Bebe responded. Did she respond well to Kiona's constructive criticism? Perhaps if Kiona had been more negative in her approach, Bebe wound not have seen how her behavior was affect Kiona and her co-workers.
         Think about how you react to people who might seem rude to you. Do you talk about them behind their back? Do you confront them in a negative way? Perhaps the next time you can take a hint from Kiona. Talk to someone in a positive way. Make statements about how the behavior affects you instead of blaming the other person. Tell the person you want to be good co-workers or friends, so you want to be able to work things out.

Making Good Choices
Think about the outcome you want. Then think about ways you could approach your boss. It is very important that you do not blame your boss or attack him or her. It is just as important that you do not approach your boss in a negative way. You want to be very positive. Use this skit as a model for the one you write.

Employee: May I have a moment of your time?

Boss: Yes. What do you want?

Employee: I know you are under a lot of pressure to get this job out. All the employees want to help.

Boss: Well, I certainly need your help.

Employee: We just want you to know that we want to help and to be supportive of you. We also need you to be supportive of us. We want you to know you can count on us.

Boss: That's good.

Employee: It helps us the most when we know that you are behind us, and that you are telling us what good work we are doing. Sometimes we feel we are not doing a good enough job for you. We are willing to take constructive criticism to help us do a better job. We appreciate it though when the criticism is constructive rather than destructive.

Boss: I sometimes lose my temper, don't I? I guess that's not fair to any of you. I'll try to keep my temper under control.

Employee: Thank you.