Prioritizing relationships from a place of positivity and kindness helps us do better, at work and at life. When you are value-driven, transparent, compassionate, humane, and recognize others as unique individuals, you become more effective and efficient. In fact, respect and care in our professional surroundings has a bigger influence on us as employees rather than salaries or benefits. Happiness is an indicator of workplace success and for employees like us, positive relationships are the biggest indicator of happiness.
Let’s look at the 5 core principles that help build healthy relationships at work!
Transparency and authenticity
Clear, consistent and honest communication is the key to success in any relationship. It is an important element of developing trust and workplace relationships aren’t exempt to this notion. They are also quintessential qualities of an effective leader. Inauthenticity is often considered as a threat and authenticity, even if it means being vulnerable, puts people at ease. Learning to communicate honestly yet compassionately and making sure to listen and respond to people in a way that makes them feel heard, seen and respected can go a long way in building and maintaining professional relationships.
- Initiate conversations with colleagues to express your true feelings (whether positive or negative) about various situations.
- Make a point to have daily chats (whether in-person or online) with your colleagues, team members, etc. Make time and be available for them. This helps create special bonds and prevent miscommunication.
- Be open-minded and share without hesitation. Describe your thoughts as they come and help the other person understand. Additionally, listen to the oyster persona and try to accommodate new ideas and opportunities.
Inspiration
Seeing the best in others inspires them and motivates them to become better. When people think that someone has a positive image of them, they are inspired to improve. Whether it’s an employee or a friend, one feels valued when others acknowledge and celebrate their strengths. This kind of interaction is deeply energizing, which further enhances productivity.
- Appreciate the good work that your colleagues have done (whether in a group or privately).
- Use storytelling to express a passion for a subject and enthusiasm for success, which may inspire others to share their own narratives.
- Hold yourself accountable for your mistakes, reflect on your actions and determine ways to improve conduct
Emotional Intelligence
One’s ability to handle emotions (especially the negative ones) is critical to their capability to navigate inevitable conflicts. Being able to read non-verbal cues and respond with skill and compassion towards others feeds into their propensity to exercise self-control. When we don’t sweat over the small stuff, our relationships do better. Sometimes, even keeping the relationship above the conflict helps in building and maintaining thriving bonds.
- Practice active listening – the process of listening carefully to another person’s conversation topic and repeating back information to show you’re engaged.
- Keep an emotion journal to track your thoughts and feelings over time. This helps you identify patterns of behaviors and understand how emotions affect your thoughts and actions.
- Try to put yourself in other people’s shoes and understand their perspective without being judgemental.
Self-care
In order to maintain a connection with others, it’s also important to maintain a connection with ourselves. And what better way to achieve that than through taking care of self by striving for balance and sanity. Self-care involves engaging in behaviours or activities that promote health and wellbeing. Put simply, it involves doing things to make oneself feel better emotionally and physically.
- Check emails or phone calls at particular times
- Block time in your calendar for breaks or energizing projects
- Keep healthy snacks (such as granola, bananas, peanut butter) at your desk for times when you want to feel energized but can’t leave your seat.
- Keep a list of inspiring images or words to keep motivation close by.
- Keep a water bottle on your desk— use one with time marks that indicates hourly water consumption— it will make staying hydrated easier!
Values
Compassion, generosity, kindness, forgiveness and ethics are some of the superior values to have, especially when working with a team. This helps create positive workplaces and yield financial performance, customer satisfaction, productivity, and engagement. When mental models, expectations and priorities coincide, chances of better performance go up. Therefore, communication and respect for different perspectives go a long way in achieving what’s best for everyone collectively.
- Be a proactive problem-solver by identifying the root cause and then finding solutions.
- Consistently finish your work on deadlines to show reliability and dedication,
- Take on new projects or tasks that may be out of your comfort zone
Building relationships at work is about showing up with honesty, empathy, and consistency every day. When we communicate authentically, inspire others, manage our emotions, care for ourselves, and uphold strong values, we create workplaces rooted in trust and respect. These small, steady efforts not only strengthen teams but also make work a place of connection, meaning, and genuine happiness.
Photo Credits:
First image: VectorInspiration
Second image: imtmphoto
References
Seppälä, E., & McNichols, N. (2022). The Power of Healthy Relationships at Work. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/06/the-power-of-healthy-relationships-at-work
Sakshi
About the author
Sakshi is a clinical psychologist with a deep passion for understanding human behavior, a strong drive for research, and a keen eye for psychological intricacies. Committed to continuous learning, she seeks to explore every facet of psychology, from theory to practice, to better support and empower individuals. With a curiosity that fuels her pursuit of knowledge, she strives to bridge the gap between research and real-world applications, making psychology more accessible and impactful.
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