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Establishing good morale in the workplace is the key to success, as building a sense of value and mutual respect motivates employees to continue working hard. Great colleague interactions help drive a company and contribute to making the work environment a more enjoyable place. Here we outline the best ways you can build and maintain healthy relationships at work.
Respect other people’s time
Every job is about time and doing things at a good pace. Whether you work in finance and accounting, real estate, construction or administration, you have deadlines to meet and you have something other people need. If your role directly affects other people, ensure you produce your work in a timely manner. Always make sure you ask your co-workers the right questions, as nobody likes being bombarded with irrelevant, time-wasting questions that require long explanations. Also, unless it’s a serious matter, you should never hover outside someone else’s office if they are busy with someone else. Remember to give people your time too if someone needs your assistance. Respecting time and devoting your own to help others in the workplace is a great way to build good relationships.
Have a positive attitude
No one wants to be associated with a negative person. Whether you’re complaining about the work, or criticising a fellow colleague, it ruins morale and creates a bad vibe. Negativity can effect how your co-workers perceive you, so it’s essential to always have a positive attitude, even during stressful periods. Positivity increases trust and satisfaction, and it makes people happy to collaborate and feel they can rely on you. If there are issues, then always try to find positive solutions that work for everyone.
Proceed with caution on social media
When it comes to social media, it’s easy to forget that compared to real life, the same rules apply. There’s nothing inherently wrong with connecting with colleagues on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, but never engage in any unprofessional behaviour, and don’t present an inappropriate side of yourself. It’s very possible that it will come back to haunt you in ways that could cause serious awkwardness among your colleagues, or even threaten your job. Be sure to check your company’s social media policy, so you don’t end up accidentally breaching any policies.
Communicate well
Effective communication is not only crucial to working relationships, but it’s vital for any job. One of the biggest dangers about communication in the workplace, is that we often quickly assume the other person understands the message. Always be clear but ask the person if they understand or need more clarification. Poor communications can cause stress, misunderstanding and confusion. Also, when it comes to external communication, establish the best ways of contacting different people. Some people prefer to communicate through email and instant messaging, whereas others prefer a phone call because it’s quicker and you can clarify things better.
Learn to give and take feedback
Everyone needs feedback on their work. It allows you to progress by learning from your mistakes, even if you receive criticism that may seem harsh. All feedback is information so you know exactly how to make your work better, but it’s entirely up to you whether you take it on board or not. Always feel comfortable giving constructive feedback to others. When you’re working in a team, your co-workers will value your opinion and be eager to see a different perspective. So, giving and receiving feedback is a great way of building positive relationships.
With these tips and ideas in mind, you should have no problem establishing rapport and building great interactions with your colleagues at work. We can’t always choose who we work with, but we can choose to build excellent relationships.
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