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BUILDING STRONG WORK RELATIONSHIPS We’ve been working on building your career, and have discovered that good relationships are at the heart. So, what can you do to build better relationships at work? Develop Your People SkillsGood relationships start with good people skills, such as such as collaboration, communication and conflict resolution.
In conflict, learn to wait – 72 hours or more. Being impulsive when responding to behavior you don’t like can really gum up the works! Try processing your frustration for three days before you address it. If at the end of that time you still want to address it, you will be more calm and more balanced.
Don’t assume they know what you mean. We assume too much in communication. Ask “why?” to get at what’s underneath their comments. Don’t guess – ask.
Give up on fixing others. You may be great at seeing others’ flaws and missteps. . Resist the urge to offer unsolicited advice. Instead, focus on yourself and work on your own mistakes.
Practice being the Interested Observer. One of the best ways to improve your workplace relationships is by watching others’ reactions to things you and others say. Be sure to watch your own approaches and reactions.
Let them finish. An easy way to improve all your relationships is to simply let the other person finish the thought completely. This means not interrupting, adding commentary, or giving feedback until she is completely through talking or asking. Avoid checking out on listening while you frame your own response. When another person is talking, focus completely on what he is saying and how he is saying it. Don’t let your mind wander—use all your energy to really listen really listen and try to understand. Really good communicators and great listeners.
Don’t unload. Do you just unload and vent your problems, ideas, or experiences on someone else without a purpose? Be clear about what you want from the other person so these moments are not wasted, and actually build your relationship. Do you want advice? Direction? A shoulder to cry on?
Identify Your Personal Work Relationship NeedsLook at your own relationship needs. Do you know what you need from others? And do you know what they need from you? Be cautiously open about this. Learn what is acceptable and what is not in your culture before you reveal too much. Give others the opportunity to understand who you really are. This creates trust, loyalty, and respect, and comfort. Actually Schedule Time for Relationship BuildingDevote a portion of each day toward relationship building, even if it's just 20 minutes, perhaps broken up into five-minute segments. Pop into someone's office during lunch, reply to people's postings on social media (make sure you don’t get addicted!) or share a quick cup of coffee. These little moments fertilize relationships. Spend Time Developing Your Emotional Intelligence.This is your ability to recognize your own emotions, and clearly understand what they're telling you.High EI also helps you to understand the emotions and needs of others. Show your appreciation whenever someone helps you. Genuinely compliment the people around you when they do something well. Focus on being positive. People are drawn to that. Make sure that you set and manage boundaries properly – you can only devote a certain amount of time to each person, and only a set amount of time at work for friendships. Don't gossip –it is a major relationship killer at work. If you're experiencing conflict with someone, talk to them directly about the problem. Listen more than you talk. There’s a general start. Next time we will work on those difficult people. Everyone has one or two.