Question from Job Seeker: I’ve been with the same company for almost a year and a half and there have been many changes in team members lately that I now feel like an outsider. I gave myself some time to try and adapt but nothing changed and I now feel that things are only getting worse and pushing me to quit my job. Can you please help?
Answer from Bayt HR Guru: We all know how hard it is not to fit in at work, or anywhere else for a matter of fact, because we’ve all been there at least once in our lives. Bayt.com’s “
Employee Motivation in the MENA Survey” (January 2013) revealed that 34% of MENA professionals believe their colleagues and the environment they work in is a key element that drives their motivation. The feeling of an outcast is never easy to accept or deal with, but if you manage to know the reasons behind it you’ll have more chances of solving it.
Below are just some of the main reasons you might be feeling like an outsider at work:
Age gap
You are way younger or way older than you colleagues and can’t seem to find anything in common to talk about or any common interests.
Gender gap
You are a man working with a majority of women or a woman working with a majority of men and you’re facing troubles relating with any of them on anything.
Cultural gap
You have a very different cultural background than the rest of your colleagues and you can’t seem to find your place among them. You feel your cultural differences are more of a hurdle than a wealth no matter how hard you try to accept them and learn from them.
Educational gap
You are either way more qualified or under qualified than the rest of the staff and you feel that you are never on same wavelength and can never discuss any topic of common interest.
If none of the above is applicable, then maybe the issue resides in you. Don’t worry, this doesn’t have to be something serious, if anything it means it could be solved. Regardless of what, in your personal life, is affecting your ability to mingle with your colleagues at work,
the two top ways below will help you put down your guards and build better and stronger relationships at work:
Be flexible
Learn to accept others the way they are, just like you would expect them to like you for who you are. Do not look at differences as hurdles but rather as motives to go that extra mile and get to know your colleagues better.
Focus on the good
You can’t expect everyone to be just like you and have the same interests. To each their own life experiences, preferences and point of views. Instead of focusing on your differences and things you don’t agree on, emphasize on what you have in common and what brings you closer to each other.
Remember that
quitting your job might not be the best solution, as you will have to deal with different types of people in any other job you might take. Running away from the problem is never advisable unless you know that you have no power whatsoever over what’s causing your discomfort.
Good luck!
