How to build good working relationships
JR-HR Solutions
How many of you have spent countless hours trying to resolve relationship breakdowns in the workplace, when you could have been spending it on growing your business?
Human beings are naturally social creatures – we crave friendship and positive interactions, just as we do food and water.
So it makes sense that good working relationships result in a happier and more productive environment.
There are several characteristics that make up good, healthy working relationships:-
✓ Trust – If you trust the people you work with, you can be open and honest with them and don't waste time and energy "watching your back."
✓ Mutual Respect – You value their input and ideas and they value yours. Working together, you can develop solutions based on your collective insight, wisdom and creativity.
✓ Mindfulness –Those who are mindful are careful and attend to what they say and don't let their own negative emotions impact the people around them.
✓ Welcoming Diversity – People with good relationships not only accept diverse people and opinions, but they welcome them.
✓ Open Communication – My view is that if you are open and honest with others they are more likely to reciprocate with you.
So, to build better relationships at work, you should:
- Schedule Time to Build Relationships
- devote a portion of your day toward relationship building, even if it's just 20 minutes
- have a quick chat on a Monday morning about your weekends, or spend time at lunch with people.
Appreciate Others
- genuinely compliment the people around you when they do something well
– we all enjoy praise! Be Positive - positivity is attractive and contagious and it will help strengthen your relationships.
Manage Your Boundaries
- it’s good to be friendly, but people can sometimes take advantage if you’re too friendly which could impact on your job, especially when someone monopolises your time.
Avoid Gossiping
- office politics and "gossip" are major relationship killers at work. If you're experiencing conflict with someone in your team, talk to them directly about the problem.
Listen Actively
- focus on listening more than you talk, and you'll quickly become known as someone who can be trusted. People respond to those who truly listen to what they have to say.
Difficult Relationships Occasionally, you'll have to work with someone you don't like, or someone you simply can't relate to, as we all know that recruitment methods aren’t always an exact science!
However, for the sake of your business, it's essential you maintain a professional relationship with them.
When this happens, make an effort to get to know the person. Try to engage them in a genuine conversation, or invite them out to lunch.
Instead of putting energy into your differences, focus on finding things that you have in common.
And remember – not all relationships will be great, but you can make sure that they are at least workable!
