Be a better coworker

Eight years ago I wrote a post about how to be a decent coworker. I read it again today and I’m surprised how well it’s held up. Here’s a shorter, updated version.

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So you want to be a better coworker. He’s what you do. Rate yourself 1 to 5 on each of these. Or better yet, ask your coworkers to rate you anonymously.

• Organization. Don’t lose crap, ever. Passwords, dates, files, emails, notes, links, whatever.
• Responsiveness. Be easy to reach and quick to respond (but protect your focused deep work time).
• Reliability. If you said you’ll do it, then freaking do it, no matter how tiny it is. People notice.
• Warmth. Maybe you can’t be funny or charming, but you can be warm.

Which one got the lowest score? Go all-in on fixing that.