How you treat people really does matter more than what you accomplish. Don't be stubborn about it.
Of course, I used to be that stubborn person myself. When I first joined the company, I was eager to perform well, but ended up falling flat on my face instead. However, this concept doesn't mean we should fawn over others, appease or flatter them, or diminish ourselves; rather, it's about learning to "think from others' perspectives" and standing in their shoes more often, which naturally adds a touch of thoughtfulness to the impression you make.
Let me share two personal examples (since I work in news media, you can translate these to your own role).
First example: I used to be a social media editor who needed to push news quickly to social platforms to drive traffic. Of course, the company had different audience-focused social channels, and I wasn't the only one doing this. The main niche channels also had to protect their own domains (like sports, entertainment, travel, pets, etc.).
I mainly handled breaking news across all categories, while they focused on their specific niches. When I noticed they posted major news later than the main channel, they'd get "questioned" by management: why would someone watching just one category be slower than a small editor like me who monitors multiple types of content? Do they lack news sense?
To ease her stress, I adjusted my work approach. I'd check whether she'd posted first, communicate with her about when to schedule the article to go live, wait for her to publish, and only then would I hit send—a time difference of maybe ten or twenty seconds, which was negligible.
This change had several benefits: first, she wouldn't get scolded; second, our articles still went out quickly; third, the two units cooperated better and reduced negative competition. If I hadn't adjusted, or if I knew she'd get criticized but didn't care, I'd inevitably be seen as intentionally causing trouble.
A little extra thoughtfulness that doesn't affect you but helps others actually benefits everyone—and makes people more likely to trust you.
Second example: again, interdepartmental collaboration. My current role is at a news media company where I receive information and work with field reporters. There's more spontaneous situations in the field but fresher information; staff at the office knows broader news but not necessarily the fastest. These are the differences between the two.
One day, we learned of a sudden incident in the field that was critical information, but the field reporter hadn't reported it yet. I figured they probably hadn't received the information yet, so rather than reporting immediately to my manager, I prepared all the necessary visuals and text needed, then privately messaged the reporter with the relevant details and confirmed he knew about it before letting him report it himself—instead of having the supervisor learn first and then ask "Why didn't you report this?"
For some people, field reporters are supposed to know everything and are the primary source of information. If they miss something, it seems like a grave error. But I think field staff have many unexpected situations to handle and don't have time to answer everyone's questions—they need to focus on gathering information properly.
So what I can do is help fill in the gaps so they don't miss anything. When the supervisor learns the news, we've already prepared the necessary visuals and materials, the field reporter already knows and can report it, both sides have complete information, and we all safely navigate this situation. The other person was genuinely grateful to us.
Learning to be considerate and manage these situations isn't something you pick up overnight, but I think the key to grasping the essentials is: "treat colleagues as partners" and "see each other as one team." I once learned a concept in a Dale Carnegie-style course called "the team wins, you win."
At first, I didn't understand it. I thought if I took care of myself, I could help the team avoid mistakes. But actually, when you only focus on yourself, the team might be in crisis without you realizing it. Charging ahead and abandoning others is both immature and unwise.
It's like basketball—someone might only want to dunk and show off, but defense requires coordination. Going rogue just gives the opponent an opening. So ensuring the team gets through difficulties together is how you truly win.
Be a good person before you do good work. Think from others' perspectives. Make sure the team is okay, and you'll earn a reputation for being thoughtful and dependable.
(The kind of insincerity involving flattery and gift-giving isn't what this post is about.)
【First Job Key Insights Series, Part 2 — Five Articles】
First Job Key Insights (Part 2-2): Stick to the Facts, Don't Let Emotions Take Over
First Job Key Insights (Part 2-4): You're Not Omnipotent—Don't Take Everything On
First Job Key Insights (Part 2-5): Developing a Mature Work Attitude: Learn to Express Your Position
