5 Books That Will Help You Be A Better Coworker

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When it comes to office etiquette, we’re sure we could all improve somehow. It’s important to make sure that you’re being the best coworker you can be — a team player who supports others and adds to company culture — but what resources can you turn to if you want an in-depth approach? Books, friends. These five will give you insane insight into your relationships with colleagues so you can navigate them a little better and foster an even more solid team environment.

1. “The Art and Ethics of Being A Good Colleague” — Michael J. Kuhar, Ph.D.

The Skinny: This book will give you a great general overview of building habits that will make you the ideal person to work with in the office. You’ll learn how to analyze your colleagues’ behavior and make sure that you’re providing a good balance of support, authority and respect in relationships with your fellow teammates.

2. “The Art of War” — Sun Tzu

The Skinny: If you’re interested in gaining a broader sense of philosophy that goes into every relationship and leadership position, this book is for you. Tzu offers a number of thoughts that can be relatable to any part of your life but generally makes you stop and consider those around you to the fullest extent. If this won’t help you be a better coworker, we don’t know what will.

3. “Crucial Confrontations: Tools for Resolving Broken Promises, Violated Expectations, and Bad Behavior” — Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler

The Skinny: Though you’re not likely to be an authoritative figure among your colleagues, you will likely come across a tense situation or two in your career. It’s good to learn the tactics of diffusing weird situations in the office, and though that’s your boss’s job, you’ll be that much better of a boss when it comes time for you to lead.

4. “Don’t Bring It to Work” — Sylvia Lafair

The Skinny: Most likely, you’re dealing with a myriad of personalities when you step into your office. Even more likely? All of your coworkers are dealing with different issues that sometimes make their way into the office space. Lafair discusses how to identify these personality types and learn to navigate them (and their struggles) in the office context.

5. “How to Win Friends and Influence People” — Dale Carnegie

The Skinny: While this book could help you in your individual entrepreneurial path and even as a future leader, it’s just as relevant in an employee-to-employee situation. You’ll learn the alternative ways to criticize your colleagues and how to build them up without causing resentment or hurting your own career trajectory.

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