Ever entered the office and wondered who do I speak with? Ever came across a hundred thoughts before saying just a hi to your new co-worker? These are some thoughts most of us go through or have gone through at some points in our career, be it joining a new organization, meeting new team members or even during the phase of bouncing back to office after a long period of remote working.
Humans are social creatures with an inherent need for establishing connections. An organization, by definition, is a complex arrangement of relationships, spread across a structure, formed to collaborate, to achieve set goals. Therefore, the significance of healthy relationships at work is a no-brainer to truly achieving success.
When we consider that we spend a substantial amount of time in our lives at work, it is all the more essential to build good relationships with our colleagues and make the atmosphere at ease and enjoyable. Therefore, while workplaces emphasise systems, processes and standardisation, we must not forget the intangible impact of the bond and camaraderie of its people on the functioning of the entire ecosystem.
Here are 6 mantras that can help people establish and sustain strong relationships at work –
Focus on Emotional Quotient
One of the underestimated elements is EQ! Being emotionally agile, shall help you understand the unsaid feelings of your co-workers, stay calm under pressure, and keep judgements & impulsions at bay. You can do this by being more observant, caring for others, keeping a tab on your reactions, trying to be more open-minded and approachable, etc.
Listening to others with an intention to understand what they mean plays a pivotal role in being empathetic. Genuine listening involves stepping into the person’s shoes and acknowledging their views. Take out time to meet your colleagues and listen to their views. Making them feel heard is crucial for building a bond with them!
Develop People Skills
Organizations attract people from diverse behavioural backgrounds, therefore training them on a certain set of common behaviours is instrumental in ensuring the sustenance of the culture that organisations want to build.
Soft skills and social training sessions with timely refreshers are sure to benefit people in developing skills required for building relationships at work.
Take Conscious Interest
Great workplaces take conscious interest in their people. People should be made to feel more than just another colleague. Have personalised conversations with them, talk about their routines, hobbies, challenges, etc.
Communicate & Communicate More
Like any relationship, workplace relationships also feed on open communication. Being transparent and receptive helps people to be more open. Informal connects, one-o-ones, watercooler breaks, etc. are some channels through which you can speak and listen more with your colleagues to sustain that camaraderie.
Go Beyond Workplaces
Meeting outside workplace boundaries may give a different angle to your relationships at work, altogether. It brings out the true personality of people and also helps team members to connect beyond their roles. Going out for parties, trips and meals is a great way to foster relationships.
Don’t Forget to Keep Your Commitment
Another underrated way of bonding well is honouring commitments. This shall enhance one’s perception of you. It further improves trust, reflects respect and re-instates accountability and credibility of a person. Make sure you commit realistically and stay true to your words by planning things backwards.
People experience the culture and climate at work majorly through their managers. While anyone at the workplace can take these initiatives, however people managers must go the extra mile on these lines to ensure they have a synergistic relationship with their team members.
Making the environment more inclusive and empowering can help people managers lay the foundation of trust and enablement. Take opinions of team members, and share important information and decisions timely with them. Another aspect that helps teams to feel belonging and significant is entrusting them with projects or work beyond their role. This not only helps them understand the significance of their contribution but also provides them with a platform to collaborate well with others and establish new relationships in the workplace.
At REA India, we believe in ‘Feel at Home’ philosophy, which helps our people feel as comfortable as being at their homes. Our people policies & practices offer various formal and informal channels to build trusted relationships at work.
Some of these channels are Coffee with the CEO, Fri-Yay connect hour, Unfiltered Skip-level meets, Feeling at Home hour – HR Connect Sessions, MEET – A tool which allows people to connect with anyone in the workplace., etc. which help us create a strong bond in our workplace.
