UNITED STATES—It’s not always easy in the workplace to get along with your colleagues. There are those people who you instantly mesh with; while there are others whose sight can place your eyes on fire. There are companies where you can get away with little to no interaction with distinct colleagues, in other workplaces; you MUST work with those colleagues to get the job done.

Going to your boss to report a co-worker isn’t always the best idea, especially when you’re attempting to point the finger instead of solving the problem. Trust me I understand your pain, because nothing is more annoying than sitting and watching a co-worker do nearly nothing, yet still collect a paycheck.

I don’t want to hear the seniority argument. So what, who cares if you have 20 plus years at the company? If you hate the job so much or feel that you have put in your time, than retire. Why come to work if you have no plans to be productive.

There are ways to work with your colleagues and cut the tension. Sometimes calling them out on their antics, without igniting a spectacle or embarrassing them is a good thing. It might put in perspective for them how everyone else at the company perceives them, but aren’t willing to say it.

In addition, if you show a bit of respect when approaching your colleague they might see you and things in a different light. No one wants to be told they are a lazy employee, inept with their communication skills, a bad public speaker, a procrastinator, I mean the list goes on and on.

Sometimes taking a colleague under your wing and showing them the ropes is an excellent approach to helping shape them to be more productive for the company. What a lot of people fail to realize is that when the company succeeds everyone succeeds. We live in this bubble where we like to focus all of our attention solely on ourselves and not others. That is a very difficult thing to do in a workplace where cohesion is a definitive factor to the expansion and growth of the company.

By raising the level of productivity with one colleague, it could become a domino effect on all other colleagues in the workplace. By seeing two co-workers who may not have started out on the right foot get along, it can force them to perhaps make amends with a colleague that perhaps they don’t get along with.

When the synergy at a company is strong, it echoes all the way to the top. Bosses who may be complete jack***** might soften up, heck they might become a bit more giving to employees. No, I’m not just talking about around the holidays; they might choose to give more throughout the entire year. Not one single person can do everything, and even if he or she is capable of doing so, they will burn themselves out to a degree that is not beneficial to the company in any facet.

They always say there is no “I” in the word team. I’m starting to realize more and more precisely what that means because being a team player helps not just the company, but the individual as well.