Building Positive Work Relationships

When most of us think of life goals, we often think in terms of material or financial success. But few people on their deathbeds look back at their lives and wish they had more stuff. Instead, many wish they’d had better relationships. It’s no secret that the better our relationships, the happier we are. "Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement, all success, all achievement in real life grows." ~ Ben Stein

When our relationships at work are positive, we’re more productive, creative, and engaged. But when there’s friction at work, we spend our energy dealing with relational issues. Conflict is perfectly normal. Learning how to handle conflict, rather than avoid it, is central to maintaining professional and personal relationships and improving workplace success.

Work relationships have a huge impact on a business’s level of success, with numerous studies showing tremendous benefits when employees are excited about work and enjoy the teamwork and after-hours comradery. Coworkers certainly do not have to be your best friends, but having a positive human connection is critical.

It’s important to first look inward if you begin feeling negative emotions toward a coworker for no apparent reason. Be honest about why you might not like working with this person, keeping in mind something in your subconscious might be causing your dislike or distrust.

Integrity in the workplace is paramount, even if you have serious problems with someone at work. Remember, the only thing you can control is you—your attitude, behavior, actions, and words. Do your best to build positive relationships, and let it go if others do not reciprocate. It may take time, but you might be pleasantly surprised that people you previously clashed with eventually turn out to be your favorite and most trusted colleagues and friends.

Anticipate that building good work relationships and developing rapport often takes hard work, time, patience, and self-awareness. However, putting in the emotional labor necessary to help you feel more connected will greatly increase your overall job satisfaction.

10 Tips to Build Positive Workplace Relationships

1. Be open, honest, and positive. Communication is a cornerstone of any good relationship. In emails, face-to-face interactions, and meetings, be thoughtful of how your message may be received. Consider what you want from and use clear wording to reduce chances of misunderstanding. The better your communication skills at work, the stronger your relationships will be.

2. Express gratitude and appreciation. When someone does a good job or helps you out, let them know. Everyone likes to be recognized for their contributions. It only takes a second to make someone feel valued, but the good feelings will last a long time.

3. Be a good listener. When someone speaks to you, try to push other thoughts aside and really focus on what the person is saying. When people feel heard, they feel validated. This type of listening increases trust, which is important for healthy relationships.

4. Keep a positive attitude. Others are drawn to those who smile a lot, say kind things, and build others up. Negativity leaves a trail of bad feelings, but positivity causes others to want to be around you.

5. Evaluate and build your people skills. What are your strengths? Work from those, when possible. What are your weaknesses? Be aware of them, and try to improve. Try to speak to each of your colleagues face to face each day and call them by name. Show interest in others, and make relationship building a daily goal.

6. Say what you want. Don’t make your colleagues play a guessing game with your needs. If you need a certain project by a certain date, say so clearly and politely. If you’re not sure what someone else needs from you, ask. Let your boss know your career goals, and ask what you can do to make yourself more qualified for promotion.

7. Show respect. You don’t have to like someone to have a good working relationship. But respect is a must. Respect means that you place value on others’ individuality. You recognize unique ideas, views, and skills in those around you, and you show kindness and appreciation for their thoughts and contributions.

8. Skip the gossip. Gossip and office politics should be avoided. If a person is talking to you about others, they’re probably talking to others about you. Difficult situations should always be confronted directly with only the people involved and not behind someone’s back, keeping in mind that everyone has stressful situations in their personal lives.

9. Be cautious with social media. Many people feel compelled to connect with colleagues on social media. Be cautious, and don’t cross any lines, particularly in areas such as politics and religion. One inappropriate post can cause others to begin to develop an incorrect impression about you and affect your professional and personal reputation.

10. Set clear workplace boundaries. Healthy relationship boundaries are critical to building work friendships and to avoid too much socializing at the expense of productivity. Use of a time-blocking strategy to prioritize tasks throughout the day helps in communication when you need time to focus rather than socialize.

The 4 Types of Work Relationships

Here are the 4 types of work relationships according to Alan S. Berson and Richard G. Stieglitz in their book Leadership Conversations:

1. Targeted relationships: These include people you do not know but work in the same industry as you as competitors or peers.

2. Tentative relationships: These are the people you have interacted with briefly at a networking event or perhaps a conference.

3. Transactional relationships: These relationships are less personal and usually used by people to accomplish a certain business objective.

4. Trusted relationships: This is one of the most important workplace relationships. It includes people that are close to you at work. Most people with a best friend at their workplace feel a more profound connection to their company.

Keep in Mind

According to leadership expert David Cottrell, “teamwork is connected independence.” Healthy work relationships reduce stress and increase productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction. When making your daily to-do list, you might consider adding some relationship-building activities to your schedule. A little effort, given consistently, can produce impressive results and help you build friendships, gain respect, and make your workplace a place where you—and others—enjoy being.

Sources:

BetterUp. Building Good Work Relationships and All of the Benefits. Opens in a new window Published February 23, 2023. Accessed February 28, 2023.

Indeed.com. 8 strategies for building relationships effectively. Opens in a new window Published December 22, 2023. Accessed January 3, 2023.

Life Coach Directory. 7 ways to build strong, positive relationships at work. Opens in a new window Published April 5, 2022. Accessed January 5, 2023.

Accenture. How to Build a Strong Organizational Culture. Opens in a new window Accessed January 5, 2023.

Last updated: February 07, 2024

By: © PAS Wellbeing Media, LLC. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.