How to Build Awesome Relationships at Work

Human beings are naturally social creatures – we crave friendship and positive interactions, just as we do food and water. So it makes sense that the better our relationships are at work, the happier and more productive we’re going to be.

Good working relationships give us several other benefits: our work is more enjoyable when we have good relationships with those around us. Also, people are more likely to go along with changes that we want to implement, and we’re more innovative and creative.

There are six key elements of a great work friendship:

– Be Honest and Communicate
– Be Likable
– Be Observant
– Find a Common Interest
– Don’t Be Afraid to Aim a Little Higher (Or Lower)
– Appreciate Diversity

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!

Be positive. If you are serious about building positive relationships with your colleagues, never speak ill of them. Be the person who takes the high road and do not engage in office gossip. People will take note and recognize you as someone who is worth associating with.

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.

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.

Building relationships with your colleagues increase job satisfaction since you spend so many hours at work. And on top of that, it signals to the senior managers that you are able to get along with others.