As an employer, you have probably heard a lot about workplace relationships and why they are important to the working environment and an organization’s success. It is important to remember that a workplace relationship is quite different from a personal relationship. While the latter involves sharing personal truths and emotions, the former is about ensuring high productivity and good teamwork.
But, how can you go about building strong workplace relationships? We have a few tips that might be help.
Ways To Build Strong Workplace Relationships:
1) Communicating Effectively:
Unsurprisingly, effective communication is at the top of this list. Often, people equate ‘communication’ with ‘speaking’, but quality communication is also about being a good listener. This means that you should carefully listen to your coworkers and employees and try to see things from their perspective before responding.
In addition, you must strive to also take your colleagues’ personal situations into account. For example, if one of your colleagues is going through a tough phase in their personal life, you should factor this into your interactions with that colleague. You should also learn to correctly interpret body language and other non-verbal signals, as these signals often offer genuine, valuable insights that words fail to convey.
2) Supporting Team Members:
Another excellent way to harbor positive workplace relationships is by supporting those who work alongside you. If you are a senior, for example, you should strive to assist, educate, and mentor your underlings to the best of your abilities.
Acknowledge your coworkers’ achievements publicly while addressing their shortcomings privately and allowing them the opportunity to overcome them. This way, you will gain the respect of your team members and establish a culture of goodwill and support throughout the organization.
3) Fulfilling Your Commitments:
Trust is an important part of any relationship, and people can only trust you when you are true to your word.
If you are unable to keep your commitment due to your work schedule or any other reason, inform your colleagues and in advance and let them know that you will get back to them as soon as possible (and then do get back to them). Remember to stay realistic when committing to any upcoming events or work responsibilities.
4) Being Aware of Your Own Strengths and Weaknesses:
Conducting an honest self-appraisal is a crucial part of developing strong workplace relationships. You must be aware of what you bring (and do not bring) to the table and should work to develop skills like effective communication, problem-solving, and mentorship. Emotional Intelligence (EI) can be of great assistance in this regard and involves focusing on:
- Self-awareness (how aware you are of your own relationship- and career-related wants and needs)
- Self-regulation (are you capable of regulating your thoughts and emotions and to what extent?)
- Empathy (being able to put yourself in another person’s shoes and understand their point-of-view)
- Social skills (skills that are vital for developing workplace relationships, such as communication, conflict resolution, and problem-solving)
Final Word:
To sum up, no organization can function effectively without positive interactions and strong workplace relationships. We hope that the tips discussed in this brief guide will help you foster such relationships and benefit your organization and all those who are a part of it.
