Lilywhite Huddle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)  1. Make a Connection Being a great person to work with requires curiosity – yours. “The better you know your colleagues or clients and their needs, motivations and goals, the better able you are to work with them,” explains customer loyalty expert, Cindy Solomon.  2. Say Yes You never want to be known as the person who says “no.” If you do, the invitations and opportunities will diminish. As marketer Peter Shankman writes, saying yes “opens up connections for you that would otherwise remain closed.” So say yes when you can and use “no” selectively. 3. Be a Helper and a Solver Never utter the words “That is not my job” or huff and puff your way through a task that you deem to be menial. Instead, be the team player who proactively ask what their greatest challenges are and how you can solve them.  4. Respond Quickly and Briefly When corresponding, choose quality over quantity. Mastering the five sentence email will make you a better communicator and hasten your response times. As marketing expert Scott Stratten explains, “There is no excuse for a client waiting days for an answer to something, even if it’s an “I will get back to you.”  5. Keep it Positive Bringing your problems to work makes you the problem. Save the complaining for your close personal friends and aim to be a professional bright light at the office. And keep in mind that a simple smile goes a long way.  6. Be Ethical When you always do “what is right,” you have an easier time making choices. Ethics expert Eric Chester suggests you, “Go to great lengths to protect your reputation by never compromising your integrity, regardless of the circumstances. Your character is always on display.” When colleagues and clients can count on you to tell the truth, trust is built.  7. Stay Focused It is hard to work with a vendor or colleague who is chasing butterflies. When you know your expertise, you make yourself more predictable and reliable. Master one thing and aim to deliver it – every time.  8. Arrive Promptly Being on time shows that you are dependable and respectful of others. Entering a meeting late gives you an air of disorganization and hurts your performance; it is hard to gain command of the room when you are the last to enter it.  9. Express Appreciation Solomon suggests that you recognize a job well done with a thank you: “Being seen as someone who appreciates the skills and efforts of others builds your reputation as a proactive partner and leader.”  Samantha Ettus is the leading lifestyle and parenting expert for working women. She is the founder of Working Moms Lifestyle, a bestselling author, and speaker. Connect with her at @samanthaettus.
Whether you are interacting with colleagues or clients, you want to be the person who is easy to work with. Here are 9 ways to do it.