Relationships are the strings that hold our world together. Its importance cannot be overemphasized in our day-to-day activities. Office relationships aid and increase the productivity of employees within an organization. This is because the productivity of employees is closely linked with the work environment he/she works in. But exactly, can we call an office relationship?
WHAT DOES AN OFFICE RELATIONSHIP MEAN?
Office relationships or workplace relationships like it is generally called refers to the inter-personal relationship built with colleagues in a professional setting. Office relationship also involves how you communicate with employees at your workplace. It also covers the behavior and character you put on at the office. Your title, profession, and experience won’t give you maximum career success if you don’t know how to manage office relationships. Office relationships are largely influenced by your attitude. And like John C Maxwell puts it “People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.”
WHY ARE OFFICE RELATIONSHIPS IMPORTANT?
Office relationships are very important because no man is an island of knowledge and to excel in your chosen career you need to learn to rub minds together with other intellectuals. Office relationships help you unite with team members to achieve more. Like the axiom goes;
Together
Everyone
Achieves
More.
Without a good office relationship, you will not be able to share goals and accomplish assigned tasks together. Also, office relationships birth a high level of job satisfaction. No one would be excited about working in an environment where there are no relationships with employees. The work environment would be stale and void of the freedom employees require to give their best to their jobs.
Great office relationships expose your strengths and weaknesses and help you maximize your strengths while working on your weaknesses. When you are open to correction and your attitude to others is neutral and professional, you allow them to give you honest feedback that will sponsor growth in your career.
Office relationships create a platform for promotional opportunities in your careers. Those who excel at office relationships are easily promoted to a higher position because they have the potentials of been great team leaders.
HOW TO BUILD AN EFFECTIVE OFFICE RELATIONSHIP?
Office relationships can be built by the deliberate efforts of team members in an organization. Employees can identify the needs of their colleagues and choose to build a relationship with them by helping them. Let’s look at practical ways to build office relationships:
-
Build Yourself:
Office relationships should benefit both parties. So you will have to work on your attitude, possess an aura of excitement, stay positive, communicate effectively, and collaborate easily. People love to work with those who generate positive vibes while settling daily assigned tasks, so work on yourself.
2. Be a Blessing to Your colleagues:
Be that person that adds value to the life of everyone you come in contact with. Encourage your colleagues, push them to achieve their goals, and correct them where necessary. When you help people, you indirectly help yourself so be intentional about it. So, learn to bring solutions to the table rather than magnifying a problem.
3. Be Thankful:
Develop an attitude of gratitude towards your colleagues. Make them know that you appreciate the privilege of meeting and working with them. Say thank you when you receive gestures from them.
4. Invest in team bonding:
Asides work, be intentional about bonding as a team, get to know your motivation and challenges on the job. Build trust among yourself and look out for each other.
5. Confront with Love:
You need to possess a level of emotional intelligence. This will help you manage your emotions when things don’t go according to plan and when your colleagues hurt you. Ensure that you don’t confront issues with a judgmental attitude but confront with love so that your colleagues can learn from the incident. Avoid the blame game, rather choose to be a game-changer.
6. Set Boundaries:
Office relationships should be professional and healthy. Don’t bring your issues to the work environment. Also, don’t allow external issues to affect your countenance at work, deal with it and keep it out.
7. Keep Commitments:
Cultivate the habit of listening to people when they have a need. Also, endure that you keep your words at every given time. This would help others build trust in you. As an employer, do well to keep promises made to employees so that you don’t lose respect in their sight. Acknowledge the efforts of your workers by giving them accolades and awards where necessary. For more details on how to develop office relationships visit here.
Office relationships have short and long-term benefits. Do well to build office relationships and you will see how positively it will affect your life and career.
