The Importance of Relationship Building

Listen here

Successful relationships are vital to us in so many ways. Consider our own personal relationships…those that define our lives. The initial stages of any relationship and the fact that they will always need to be worked at…time does not stand still.

According to the Gallup organization, people who have good friends at work are seven times more likely to be engaged in their jobs. What’s more, good work relationships are linked to better customer engagement and increased profit.

We are naturally social creatures. We also spend over 30% of our lives in the workplace, meaning that it’s natural that good relationships with colleagues will make our jobs both more enjoyable, and productive.

The more comfortable co-workers are with each other, the more confident they will feel voicing opinions, brainstorming, and in new idea generation. This level of collaboration is key to embrace change, develop and flourish…. similarly, when people see the successes of working together, team morale and productivity soars.

One other crucial factor is recognising that relationships will often be the key to your own personal development. Consider the following attributes in terms of “Relationship Building.”

  • Being authentic, and having trust in your colleagues, means that you can be open and honest in your thoughts and actions. You don’t waste energy with negative worries.

 

  • : When teams work together with mutual respect, they value one another’s contributions, finding solutions based on shared insight, knowledge, and creativity.

 

  • Taking responsibility for your words and actions, recognising the effect that you might have on others

 

  • : More than just accepting diverse people and opinions but actually embracing the same! A range of thinking and from a variety of collective experiences will supplement your decision-making.

 

  • Communication: Open & Honest, and across all forums. The pillar behind all relationships.

Take a step back and think of your relationships…then ask yourself “what do I need to do more of”?

Many relationship problems are rooted in a communication breakdown. These can be as simple as not really hearing what the other person is saying, because we get caught up in our own fixed perspectives.”
Sumesh Nair