No one wants to be told they’re a selfish jerk at work — and being thought of one could hold you back in your career. But if you are inconsiderate, chances are it’s not because you’re mean; it may be because you’re not paying attention or you’ve invested too little time in becoming aware of others’ goals and opinions. Become more conscious and you’ll become more considerate. Start by paying more attention to body language: Maintain eye contact. Watch your coworkers’ faces for signals of emotion. And be curious about what others think. Don’t be overly focused on proving your point. You’ll get to that. Instead, come up with questions of sincere curiosity that will help you understand why others think what they think. When you see things from another person’s perspective, you’ll often find surprising points of agreement.
Adapted from "Almost All Managers Have at Least One Career-Limiting Habit," by Joseph Grenny
