You don’t have to be everyone’s best friend. Sometimes, being a good coworker simply means making another person’s workday a little easier.
A thoughtful message. A deadline that comes with enough notice. A sincere thank-you after a difficult presentation.
These may seem like small things, but they can shape how people experience their workday.
In the Philippines, where colleagues often become friends, godparents, lunch companions, and even extensions of the family, workplace relationships can mean a great deal. Yet pakikisama, the desire to get along, shouldn’t mean saying yes to everything, avoiding difficult conversations, or sacrificing your well-being to keep everyone happy.
Being a better coworker isn’t about being perfect or popular. It’s about being dependable, respectful, and considerate while allowing others to be themselves, too.
Research on workplace motivation, team learning, and psychological safety suggests that supportive working relationships matter. Here are seven practical habits worth cultivating.
DISCOVER: The Stress We Normalize at Work — and Why It’s Costly
1. Explain the reason behind your request
Before assigning a task or asking for help, explain what needs to be done, why it matters, and when it is actually needed.
Instead of saying, “Can you finish this today?” try: “We need to submit the proposal tomorrow morning. Could you help finalize the budget by 3 p.m. today?”
The difference is clarity. Your colleague can better understand the priority, plan their workload, and ask questions if the deadline is unrealistic.
Research on self-determination theory identifies autonomy, competence, and relatedness as important psychological needs at work. People are more likely to feel motivated when they understand their responsibilities and have a reasonable degree of control over how they meet them.
Try this: Before making a request, clarify the purpose, deadline, and expected output.
2. Make your messages easier to understand
A brief message can save time, but an overly brief one can also create confusion.
“Call me.”
“Please explain.”
“Where is it?”
Depending on the relationship and circumstances, these messages can sound urgent or irritated even when that wasn’t the sender’s intention.
Research on email communication has found that people can misinterpret the emotional tone of written messages. Without facial expressions or vocal cues, readers have less information to work with.
A little context helps. Try: “Hi! Could you call me when you’re available? I’d like to clarify one detail about the report. No rush if you’re in the middle of something.”
Of course, genuine emergencies require direct communication.
Try this: Include the context, action needed, and urgency. A simple “Thank you” also goes a long way.
3. Help create an environment where people can speak up
Have you ever kept quiet during a meeting because you were afraid your idea might sound foolish? Or hesitated to admit a mistake because you worried about being blamed?
You’re not alone.
Organizational psychologist Amy Edmondson’s research describes psychological safety as a shared belief that a team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. In practice, this means people can ask questions, raise concerns, admit errors, and offer ideas without expecting humiliation.
You don’t have to agree with every suggestion to make someone feel heard.
Try saying, “That’s an interesting point. Can you tell us more?” Or, “I see it differently, but let’s look at the options.”
In Filipino workplaces, where respect for seniority and concern about hiya may sometimes discourage speaking up, inviting quieter colleagues to contribute can be especially helpful. The goal is not to put anyone on the spot, but to make participation feel welcome.
Try this: Listen without interrupting. Credit people for their ideas. Correct mistakes without belittling the person who made them.
READ: Office Stress, Explained (With Science—and a Sense of Humor)
4. Respect other people’s focus and time
A quick question may take you only a minute, but repeated interruptions can make it harder for someone to finish demanding work.
Researcher Gloria Mark and colleagues have studied how interruptions affect work. In an often-cited interview, Mark reported that interrupted work was resumed, on average, 23 minutes and 15 seconds later. This figure refers to returning to the original task in that particular research context—not a universal recovery time for every interruption.
The practical lesson remains useful: unnecessary interruptions can disrupt concentration.
Before calling, dropping by a desk, or sending a series of Viber or Teams messages, consider whether your question can wait. Group non-urgent questions together, respect agreed focus periods, and give colleagues realistic deadlines.
Try this: Ask, “Is this a good time?” For non-urgent requests, explain when you need a response rather than expecting an immediate reply.
5. Recognize effort, not just impressive results
Not every valuable contribution wins an award or earns public recognition.
Someone may quietly resolve a client concern, help a new employee understand a process, or catch an error before it becomes a bigger problem.
Specific appreciation can help people understand that their work matters. Research on workplace motivation and organizational behavior supports the importance of recognition, although its effects depend on how it is given and the wider work environment.
You don’t need an elaborate speech. Try: “Thank you for helping me sort out that client concern. Your patience made a difference.”
Keep praise sincere. Avoid taking credit for another person’s work, and don’t assume everyone wants public recognition. Some people appreciate a private message more than a shout-out in a group chat.
Try this: Notice one useful contribution each day and acknowledge it specifically.
6. Own your mistakes and help put things right
Everyone makes mistakes. A missed email, an incorrect figure, or a misunderstood instruction can happen even to a conscientious employee.
What matters next is how you respond.
Instead of immediately blaming a colleague or explaining why the error wasn’t entirely your fault, acknowledge what happened, describe the corrective action, and explain how you will reduce the chance of a repeat.
For example: “I used the wrong figure in the draft. I’ve corrected it and checked the other totals. Next time, I’ll verify the source before submitting the file.”
Accountability helps colleagues understand what they can rely on you to do. It also supports learning when a team can discuss errors constructively.
This does not mean accepting blame for something you didn’t do or concealing serious problems. Nor should accountability become an excuse for leaders to punish people for every honest mistake.
Try this: Be honest, correct what you can, communicate the impact, and follow through.
EXPLORE: PhilHealth, NCMH Expand Workplace Mental Health Programs Amid Year-End Stress
7. Raise problems constructively—but don’t hide them
A healthy workplace needs people who can identify problems. It does not need everyone to pretend everything is fine.
If a deadline is unrealistic, a process is failing, or a client request creates a serious concern, speak up. When possible, bring the facts and suggest a next step.
Instead of saying, “This system never works,” try: “We’ve had three delays with this process this week. Could we test a shared tracker so everyone can see the status?”
You won’t always have a solution, and that’s perfectly reasonable. Sometimes the most responsible thing to say is, “I’ve identified a problem, and I need help figuring out the next step.”
The aim is not to suppress frustration or make employees responsible for fixing every organizational problem. It is to communicate in a way that gives the team a better chance of responding effectively.
Try this: Describe the problem, explain its impact, and ask for the help or decision you need.
A healthier workplace begins with small choices
You don’t have to master all seven habits overnight. Start with one: clarify a request, thank a colleague, listen more carefully, or take responsibility for a mistake.
And remember that healthy teamwork is a shared responsibility. Employees can practice consideration, but managers and organizations must also provide fair workloads, clear expectations, reasonable boundaries, and a safe way to raise concerns.
Being a good coworker doesn’t mean being perpetually available, avoiding disagreement, or carrying everyone else’s burdens.
It means doing your part to make work more respectful, collaborative, and human.
Your small habits may not transform an entire workplace in a day. But they can make a meaningful difference to the person working beside you.
References
Deci, E. L., Olafsen, A. H., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). “Self-Determination Theory in Work Organizations: The State of a Science.” Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4, 19–43. Read the review.
Edmondson, A. (1999). “Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams.” Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. Read the research record.
Edmondson, A. C., & Lei, Z. (2014). “Psychological Safety: The History, Renaissance, and Future of an Interpersonal Construct.” Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1, 23–43. Read the review.
Byron, K. (2008). “Carrying Too Heavy a Load? The Communication and Miscommunication of Emotion by Email.” Academy of Management Review. Read the paper.
Mark, G. Interview on interruptions and returning to work, published by Gallup Management Journal. Read the interview. The reported 23-minute figure is specific to the observed work context, not a universal rule.
Self-Determination Theory and Workplace Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis (2026). A synthesis of 192 studies examining how psychological needs and motivation relate to workplace outcomes. Read the study. Findings support overall patterns, with variation across work and employee contexts.
