I ran across an article of the top qualities of a co-worker. The list tops out with the triple AAA’s – Accepting, Adaptable, and Attentive. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/qualities-of-a-good-coworker

What’s interesting about these three qualities is how well they describe someone that is inviting to others. How probable would it be for you to go over and collaborate with someone that demonstrates these 3 qualities? Or how excited would you be when placed on a project team with someone that exudes these 3 qualities? Someone that embraces differences, can thrive through change, and truly listens to you is a great trio for making a person that invites in others.

I’m sure many aren’t surprised Accepting, Adaptable, and Attentive climb to the top. When I mentioned qualities of a co-worker and these triple AAA’s, how many started to think externally? Maybe there are co-workers that model these qualities extremely well or maybe your mind goes to those that struggle to showcase any of these qualities.

While we may naturally look external, the challenge is to shift the view internally. Not how we assess the tendencies of others. Instead, looking within, and assessing whether I demonstrate these qualities and others see me as Accepting, Adaptable, and Attentive.

When we look at our growth journey, part of our authentic greatness is the impact we have on others. To have a positive impact on others, part of the recipe for success is the desire for others to engage with us. Sometimes it’s as simple as asking ourselves, if I call someone, is their reaction going to be oh no what do they want? Or will the other person pick up the phone knowing they get an opportunity to engage with someone that will listen and participate in a collaborative dialogue?

Trying to find out which category you may fall in (or somewhere in between)? Consider the following:

• How often are you coming to a conversation with an open mind? Check out Don’t let ego tangle with growth for ideas on how to invite in perspective and be ready to learn.
• Do you seek feedback? Think of opportunities to connect with people that will provide honest and transparent feedback about your collaborative approach (or lack thereof).
• Do you take time to pause and reflect after dialogue? Take just 2-3 minutes after a conversation to reflect on how well you listened, how well you invited in other perspective, tonality, delivery of your own perspective, etc. Check out Seek to Understand 1st Mentality for more insights on engaging.

There’s a saying I heard many years ago that has stuck with me – “when we engage together, we all win”. The challenge is how we put ourselves in the position to have good engagements. Conquering the triple AAAs of Accepting, Adaptable, and Attentive will be a great start to engaging with others for positive impact.

Take your step: effective engagement leads to a lot of positives, but we must put ourselves in position to be someone others want to engage with. Accepting, Adaptable, and Attentive are a fantastic trio of qualities to assess internally. Take time to run through the 3 considerations above to assess how on track you are with these 3 qualities. Do others want to engage with you and tend to get excited when they get a call or message from you? It’s time to find out.