I actually laughed when I saw this topic because I felt direct shots towards me. I have high level of admiration for people who are so tolerant because my tolerance level is probably like 30% and that one even goes on low battery sometimes. Fortunately for me, the number one thing I have which I think substitutes the tolerance I do not have is knowing how to accept I’m wrong and knowing when to apologize.
I’m sure you’ve realized that most jobs require people who believe in collaboration and teamwork. Others would even go further to ask that they want someone who appreciates diversity and for you to appreciate diversity, you should be someone who can tolerate people from all backgrounds. Trust me when I say this is one of the most hardest things to do but also the most underrated superpower.
It’s not so easy to try and accept certain opinions or endure certain actions just because you want to create a healthy environment at work. I have been in a position where opinions of people were so awkward and it was always surprising to hear something like that coming from a person with about 10 years experience but that’s when I revisit diversity and remind myself that we all come from different places and what might seem really odd to me might happen to be so top tier to them.
I’m sure by now you’re thinking that I’m not so bad at tolerating people. Let me tell you the action attached to that my 30% tolerance.There’s so much beauty in diversity but I realized after I became an Environmentalist that there’s some ugly side attached to that beauty. It even becomes more uglier when your colleagues are doing the job just for the money but there’s no passion. There’s this guy I worked with on a project. At first I was going to ask for a different partner because he barely contributes when you’re working with him.
The annoying part is he would be making comments like “You can deal with this without my help, you are the one with passion for the Environment”. What?!! I’m the one with the passion but even as you’re “passionless” you’re still going to get paid the same amount as me at the end of the month. I really didnt mind doing everything alone but enough was enough. I just knew at that point I had exhausted my 30% tolerance. I confronted him that I wasn’t going to do it alone and for about 2 days I acted nonchalant. That’s when he knew I was serious. Seeing that the deadline was drawing nearer, he contributed.
The whole office was surprised that I got him to contribute for once.
I was also happy that I spiced my tolerance with small action which got him to change. Trust me when I say I didn’t mind getting fired because I was fed up. (I know unemployment was smiling at me that time).