Workplace relationships – why are they important?

Anyone who has ever worked in a team environment recognizes the value of good workplace relationships. Afterall, we spend at least one-third of our day at work! Can you afford to not have your team working harmoniously?   If your employees have a good relationship with you and their colleagues, you’ll find that the culture of the business improves. With good culture, comes increased productivity and work outcomes from which you can benefit from. Engagement is key to success, and success drives profits.

How do you build relationships in the workplace?

We know that humans are fundamentally social and enjoy interacting with others. So how do you capitalise on this in the workplace? Relationship building in the workplace can give you freedom, motivation, and peace of mind that everyone will be motivated and confident to do what you’ve employed them to do. Building relationships at work is not just about being besties with your colleagues but about personally connecting with people to ensure that you respect and appreciate each other.

We know that since the pandemic, the way in which many businesses work has altered, and this has been a challenge for many.  The change has altered the way we do our jobs, so establishing effective workplace relationships are more important than ever.

Building relationships with employees.

Building relationships can take time. It can also take effort. But there are some ways in which you can foster this culture.

• Effective listening- Trust comes from listening. People respond better to good listeners. Building trust at the workplace starts from active and effective listening.
• Being respectful– Everyone wants to be respected and appreciated regardless of their role.
• Allow autonomy- If you implement autonomy and let employees manage themselves, it helps to build trust.
• Mutual appreciation- continual feedback, provide positive praise when it is earnt. Highlight success when it occurs and build the teams interactions.
• Provide one-to-one interactions – Catch up regularly with your team. Having one-to-one interactions with each other that is non work related can encourage continual relationship building.

Why do we need work relationships?

Workplace relationships are the connections you have with your employees and wider work family. Trust is key to relationships. If your employees don’t trust each other or you cannot see them working together effectively, then they will struggle to show up and be productive. As the debate around quiet quitting continues to gain traction, establishing good work relationships can ensure employees feel connected and motivated. Relationships in the workplace are important for many reasons. They improve employee morale, encourage productivity and improve collaboration amongst team members. When this element of the workplace works tougher, then the core business can flourish.

The not so positive side of workplace relationships.

Whilst we would like workplace relationships to always remain positive, we know that in reality sometimes this isn’t always the case, particularly if remote working is involved. Employees communicating virtually can create discourse that isn’t otherwise created in a physical space. So how can you address concerns around possible negative relationships in the workplace?

• Create mutually beneficial goals- Finding mutual goals that benefits both parties. It’s a way to help drive trust. There is often a power imbalance between you and your employees. Finding that common ground that shows you both as equal can make a world of difference in building that trust profile.
• Understand different perspective- If tension exists, have you considered what is the cause of it? Looking at situations from other perspectives will not only show that you are open but also show that you are fair in your decision making.
• Build rapport – Sometimes it’s just about building the relationships. This takes time and persistence.  It might be a slow start and then naturally grows as people become more connected.

Building positive working relationships are critical for success. It is not something that can happen over night and often takes time. It’s a path that can be filled with disruptions and differing opinions, but it is one that undermines success. Like anything, having a relationship building plan can assist in fast tracking this exercise. Looking for some assistance in this area? Then reach out to Now Actually – contact@nowactually.com.au