Human beings are naturally social creatures that survive and thrive through cooperation and interaction with one another. It is through healthy interactions that business owners can nurture and build good working relationships in their businesses.
Most employees spend about 8 hours at work and therefore a good relationship with colleagues makes work enjoyable. When staff are comfortable around each other, they are able to voice their opinions, contribute to decision-making discussions and are free to share new productive ideas.
Businesses that have nurtured good working relationships among colleagues and stakeholders tend to be productive because a lot of energy is not used in resolving unending conflicts but instead the focus is on generation of new ideas that help the business thrive and have a competitive edge.
Let us talk about two categories of relationships at work and how they can be nurtured and built effectively:
How to build good working relationships with your colleagues
The following are some tips on how to step in well with your colleagues:
- Create time to build relationship at work
It is important to create time to interact with other staff, find out how they are doing, what their job entails or just strike-up a conversation whether job-related or not. This helps in building a connection and gain trust which is a key ingredient in building good working relationships - Building mutual trust with colleagues is paramount
Learning how to build trust with colleagues can improve efficiency, attitude and confidence. You can build the trust by setting realistic expectations and trust of expectations in others and by always seeking clarity on what you expect from others and what they expect from you. - Listen to your colleagues
When one is attentive to what we are saying, we tend to feel important and respected. It is also very important to put your listening skills in use when in a discussion with your colleagues and associates as research shows that colleagues are likely to support one another at work place when they feel listened to - Avoid office gossip
Office gossip can cause stress and anxiety, therefore destroying trust and ruining relationships. The effect can result in a toxic environment, waste of time and hence low productivity. - Be Conscious of your Emotional Intelligence
It is very important to recognize your own emotions and what you are feeling. This will help you behave and act professionally when faced with a difficult situation at work place and towards your colleagues
How Leaders can build good working relationships with their team members
The success of every leader is judged by the results or performance of their team. These results are seen as a reflection of working relationships
Some of the tips that leaders can consider in ensuring good working relationship culture include;
- Build a listening culture
A leader that listens makes a happy team. This is because a team appreciates and feel respected when they know that their opinion counts. As a leader, you can make meetings participatory and give each team member uninterrupted opportunity to talk. This will make them shed any fear that they might have therefore a good working relationship will automatically blossom - Set clear goals and expectations
Communicating to the team on what your expectations are as their team leader is very important. When goals and expectations are clearly defined and discussed, it becomes very easy to manage performance without conflicts and misunderstandings. - Recognize even the smallest effort
Praising and recognizing your team efforts is a great motivator when it is authentic. The recognition fosters positive emotions and can boost productivity. Giving a shout-out of your team members in the presence of their colleagues increases their visibility and reputation, and this may provide growth opportunities in the business. Facilitating your team career success is a fabulous relationship-building skill that reflects on who you are as a leader - Develop shared values
As a leader, it is very crucial to set standards and values that your team will abide by. Values should be lived by all the members. Establishing team’s values builds great relationship between you and the team members and also creates a common bond between all the members - Establish boundaries
Setting boundaries provide points of the team connection and opportunities for collaboration. This can be done by clearly defining roles and responsibilities of your team and ensure understanding of what each member is responsible for. The result can maintain a rapport between the members and minimal conflicts are expected.
Human resources are a significant asset in every business and when there is distress in this area, the business is bound to fail and collapse terribly. Good working relationships create a good and healthy working environment and this boosts morale and productivity.
At Springboard Capital Ltd, we build long-term relationships with our customers by financing their dreams. Find more information about our loan products here and get in touch with us on 0700 944 444
Article Written by Julie Karanja– Human Resource Manager at Springboard Capital Ltd.
