During the pandemic, people have had difficulty maintaining their relationships due to the movement restrictions. Maintaining friendships has been even more challenging as many workplaces now require employees to work from home. Moreover, many people have left their jobs for new ones and have been unable to maintain past friendships.
Fortunately, people recognize the importance of their work relationships and are trying to rebuild them. For instance, more people try to have conversations with their colleagues virtually or in person. This is not surprising as many people stay at their jobs because of the relationships they have created.
Why work relationships are important
As social beings, humans need friendships to flourish. Work relationships are even more crucial as the average person spends about one-third of their life working. For this reason, having good relationships at your workplace will make you happier and help you enjoy your work more.
Positive relationships at work are also crucial to your performance.
The reason is that it fosters a positive working environment which gives you the confidence to follow other people’s ideas, brainstorm, and give your own opinion. As a result, your job will benefit from innovations and creativity. Furthermore, having good work relationships will enable you to concentrate more on your work instead of solving conflicts with your colleagues.
Tips for improving work relationships
While building good work relationships is vital, some people might struggle with this. One tip to improve your relationships is being less judgemental and more accepting. It is essential to accept your colleagues’ eccentricities and be less critical of their minor mistakes.
This is because all relationships require a give and take. Because anyone could make a mistake, showing support instead of judging them would allow you to receive some grace whenever you make mistakes.
It would be best to be a trustworthy employee as your co-workers would be more willing to work with you, thus exposing you to more opportunities. Another way to improve your work relationships is by sharing power. This move involves making them part of your decision-making and considering their advice. In addition, you could also credit their work whenever necessary.
