How to Win Friends & Influence People at Work

Seventy-eight years ago this month, Dale Carnegie published his infamous tome, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” and it has remained in print since. Why, you ask? Because the lessons Carnegie teaches are evergreen—they’re still very much as applicable today as they were back in 1936.

Carnegie gives good advice, and the majority of it falls on the maxim “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” But what does this mean in the office environment, which has its own set of rules, not to mention the politics?

The following tips will help you win friends and influence people at work, the Carnegie way:

1. Practise good office etiquette. Show up to meetings prepared and on time. Acknowledge emails and voice mails the same day, even if you can only say you received their message. Turn in great work ahead of schedule, if you can, but never late and never shoddy.

2. Pay attention to your coworkers. Carnegie said, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” Acknowledge their successes, listen to their stories, and show compassion when things go bad. If you actively listen, you’ll find out what makes your coworkers happy and what keeps them awake at night, all information good to know when it comes time to negotiate with them.

3. Use team language. When you use “we” and “us” in discussions about everything from projects to get-togethers after work, you’ll make everyone feel included and you’ll build a sense of loyalty. When you set everyone on the same level through inclusive language, you give them a small measure of power. And when people feel they have power, they’re more likely to bend when you need a favor in return.

4. Admit when you are wrong. One of Carnegie’s truisms, we all make mistakes, and the key is to fess up, apologise sincerely, and figure out what you’ve learned from it. It’s imperative in the office to take responsibility for your mistakes, especially if your entire team is taking heat. Once you stand up and admit fault, you might find your team backing you up. Says Carnegie, “The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.”

5. Always have a smile. Supposedly there are hidden health benefits to smiling, but you should do it for the mere satisfaction of bringing a smile to someone else’s face. A smile is contagious, and a smile says you’re friendly. Who would you rather work with—someone who’s natural face frowns all the time or the person with the sunny smile and the disposition to match? Carnegie’s wisdom on the smile states, ““Actions speak louder than words, and a smile says, ‘I like you. You make me happy. I am glad to see you.’ That is why dogs make such a hit. They are so glad to see us that they almost jump out of their skins. So, naturally, we are glad to see them.”

Many of Dale Carnegie’s suggestions on how to win friends and influence people can be enhanced by taking some of Natural Training’s courses. For instance, our sales training programmes focus on active listening as a fundamental core principle in setting up a sales atmosphere.

Call our experts today to learn more about how you can win friends and influence people through appropriate training – 0207 043 1582

Here is a free webinar 10 Ways To Make Your Prospects Like You – you can easily draw a few tips from here in the workplace.