You spend a lot of time at work – whether it’s on site or remotely. So, building good relationships with those you interact with on a day-to-day basis is critical. It can have a huge impact on how successful you are, how much you enjoy your work, and how happy you are with your life overall.
In a nutshell, it’s not good – or even healthy – if you don’t like your work. And your coworkers are a huge part of that picture.
Why Good Work Relationships are Important
If you’ve ever experienced a toxic workplace culture, you know the importance of the right relationships and synergy. If coworkers don’t get along and build trust and camaraderie, they will struggle to be productive or happy. You don’t have to be best friends, but you do have to establish rapport and common ground. From here, friendships may form as an added plus.
- If you feel like you don’t belong, it can negatively impact your mental health and/or contribute to burnout.
- On the positive side, building strong relationships results in increased job satisfaction, less discomfort during meetings as you feel empowered to speak up and share your ideas, and essential moral and practical support from your colleagues.
What Good Work Relationships Look Like
The best work relationships reap two-way benefits: Trust, collaboration, innovation, and fun are mutual. You look forward to going to work – maybe not every single day, but even when you feel like shutting off the alarm and going back to sleep, you can take heart knowing you have something to look forward to.
- Trust is a key element of positive work relationships. Also, you feel as though you have a role in plans and decision making, and everyone practices honest, open communication on a regular basis.
Building Blocks of Good Work Relationships
You can build trust and other key aspects of good work relationships by:
- Knowing what you need from your coworkers: Understand your strengths and weaknesses, and where others can offset them in positive ways.
- Practicing active listening: Communication skills are the foundation of any healthy relationship, including those at work, and one of the best ways to strengthen them is through active listening.
- Making time for others: Don’t get stuck in the daily grind and neglect your relationships. Make time for breaks and sharing, even if you work from home and they’re virtual.
- Following through on your commitments: Prove yourself as a reliable teammate who upholds their promises and commitments. Then, others will be more likely to do the same.
- Showing gratitude: A little goes a long way. Thank your coworkers when they help you succeed or meet a deadline. Your gratitude won’t go unnoticed.