As employees, we spend a significant part of our time in the workplace. Our associates, team members, supervisors, and managers play a substantial role in the quality of our daily working experience, and influence our outlook considerably. The truth is that the state of our relationships with coworkers affects us greatly, in our ability to succeed professionally and in our emotional well-being.
Naturally then, it is in our best interests, to form healthy, effective relationships with colleagues. This is not always going to be a straightforward task. The workplace brings together a mixed bag of people, not of our choosing, with different values, cultures, expectations, age ranges, and personalities – all sources of potential conflict. It is not surprising that disagreements and tensions arise when people have little idea of suitable strategies for dealing with others effectively.
Employers today are seeking individuals with strong skills in building relationships, communicating and working effectively in a team. They know the importance of these abilities and how they play an essential role in the performance of the entire workplace. By practicing and building these skills, we can make our working lives a great deal more pleasant and efficient.
Consequently, what are the ways we can we build a healthy relationship with colleagues?
1. Display a Positive Attitude
This contributes to a good atmosphere in the workplace. It also enables you to become approachable and will attract conversations from your co-workers. All great relationships start with that first conversation!
2. Accept a Good-Natured Teasing
A sign of a good relationship is being able to have good fun together. Your co-workers might sometimes play jokes and tease you just to test what kind of person you are. As long as the teasing does not cross personal boundaries, don’t get angry. Show them you love a good joke – even if it is at your expense!
3. Develop Empathy
There is a great expression that I learned a long time ago: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
4. Learn to give and take feedback.
Feedback, in my opinion, is the food of progress, and while it may not always taste great, it can be very good for you. The ability to provide constructive feedback to others helps them to tap into their personal potential and can help to forge positive and mutually beneficial relationships. From your own personal perspective, any feedback you receive is free information and you can choose whether you want to take it on board or not. It can help you to tap into your blind spot and get a different perspective.
5. Develop your communication skills
Communication occurs when someone understands you, not just when you speak. One of the biggest dangers with communication is that we can work on the assumption that the other person has understood the message we are trying to get across.
6. Give Credit
Always praise coworkers who do well. Paying tribute where it is due will always create a healthy respect with colleagues. Just make sure not to use praise as a means of manipulating people to do what you want. Also, when you constantly speak positively about others, then people will notice this and recognize you as a better and happier person. Also remember a simple thank you goes a long way! Words and actions go a long way in building strong, happy relationships.
7. Gain Trust
This can be achieved readily by always fulfilling your responsibilities and delivering on time. Your timely output affects others in the workplace. If unforeseen circumstances prevent you completing a task on time, then communicate this immediately and provide supporting reasons.
There are so many ways we can connect with our colleagues harmoniously, but the best way to do it is to be the best that we can be and to always have a positive outlook in life.
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