One of the most important hiring criteria for many companies is the ability to work as a team player—yet, so many of us have colleagues who don’t play well with others. “If you have one bad apple in the bunch, it can really hurt the morale and enthusiasm of an entire department,” says Andy Teach, a corporate veteran” If you want to get your colleagues to work with you better, here’s what you can do: • Make teamwork a priority by making it part of the performance management system - When people care about the people they work with, things get done faster, he says. “People will go the extra mile; they will take ownership of a job, a decision or problem and work through it without feeling like they have to go up the chain to get things done.” • Pinpoint the issue: Explore your feelings and behavior toward your colleagues. “Social and professional relationships are inextricably symbiotic and interactive, and much of the communication that occurs is both subconscious and reactive. “If you don’t look forward to working with a particular colleague or colleagues, guess what? Your enthusiasm suffers, your morale suffers, and ultimately, productivity suffers. A bad workplace relationship creates negative energy, which can affect everyone on the team, as well as customers or clients. As with any skill, everyone has their own techniques and level of natural expertise in people management, and it is a skill that is a critical part of career progression. Some tips on how to manage the people in your organization more effectively. Everybody’s different: Management techniques that work with one professional may not work with another, so take time to get to know your team well, and you’ll soon pick up on individual characteristics that can help you manage them better. Set the standard:Good management techniques are borne out of mutual respect and appreciation between all parties, so all management should begin by the manager setting a standard that he or she would expect from others.