Healthy Workplace Relationships

As nice as it is to have a promising career, having supportive colleagues really make the experience worthwhile. In fact, a study by TIME.com showed that more than half of respondents choose to stay in an organisation because of the people they work with.

How do you become of those colleagues people would stay in an organisation for? First, you have to understand what it takes to nurture a healthy relationship:

• Trust and respect. The two main pillars of any relationship. With trust and respect in place, everything else becomes more civil and easier to handle including conflicts and misunderstandings.

• Acceptance. You’ll find that in life, you’ll meet people of all sorts and different walks of life. They may not agree with your principles and may also think differently than you do but hey! They can still contribute significantly to your career path if you let them.

• Boundaries. As harsh as it sounds, your colleagues are sometimes just people you work with. So it’s important to maintain a strictly professional relationship at all times.

Then check out these tips for a healthy relationship:

• Give credit where credit is due. A simple pat on the back and a friendly “good job buddy!” can boost motivation and make your colleague’s day. Don’t be stingy with your compliments. Not only will it make their day but it’ll motivate your colleague to do even better next time around, which can make your work easier.

• Include all teammates in the discussion, even the new intern on her first day. Make everyone feel a part of the team, that their opinion matters, and that they can make a difference.

• Stay away from gossip. Gossip breeds office politics! Despite many large corporations condemning office politics, it’s no secret that it exists in many companies. If you happen to witness any gossiping and office politics in your workplace, note that it’s a huge red flag and it’s best to steer clear.

• Resolve any conflict timely and effectively. It’s nearly impossible to work with a colleague every day for eight hours and not have any disagreements or conflict of interests. But this isn’t high school anymore! Talk things out like adults and resolve any conflicts as soon as possible even if it means agreeing to disagree.

Check out our six rules to live by for a healthy career here!

Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash