Relationships at work take energy to manage, just like the relationships at home. In some cases we are with our co-workers more than family. This creates an opportunity to have good relationships with co-workers, so that we can have healthy and successful experiences. All we have to do is invest a little time and energy in improving and maintaining them. With this in mind, here are 3 ideas for improving relationships at work.
1. Take interest. We all love it when someone asks how our weekend was. So why not ask the guy a few cubicles over how his was? He may have the most amazing story that will inspire you to ramp up your weekend game. We all like it when others take an interest. What a great opportunity to randomly improve another person’s day. Maybe in the process you learn that you had friends at work that share interests, and you had no idea!
2. Ask good questions. Once you get to know a co-worker a little, go ahead and ask them what their goals are. Ask them what accomplishments they are proud of, and what they think is next for them. Having a meaningful friendship at work, to talk about goals (maybe even a mentor type relationship) can make all the difference in lowering stress and making a hard work week surprisingly rewarding.
3. Take note. Don’t literally take notes, but make a mental note or two. Who likes cappuccinos? Who prefers tea? Who has Friday’s off and who likes to leave a bit early for a weekly yoga class? These types of mental notes will go a long way in helping to make sure your co-workers know that you take an interest and support them as humans. It doesn’t hurt to take note of their company goals as well. How cool is it when someone in the tech departments asks how your design project is going?
Healthy work relationships have many benefits for all of us, and they are well worth the effort to create and maintain. In the end, it’s the relationships that will mean the most to you after you move on with your career, and some friendships can last a lifetime.