We spend a major part of our waking hours at work and it cannot be spent in isolation by only doing our work. Hard work pays but it is our relationship with our co-workers which plays an important role on how we feel about going to the workplace every single day.  We all need social interactions and the more we know our co workers the better and easier it becomes for us to complete our work with ease.

Good relationships at work go a long way in easing our journey,  bringing work – life balance and happiness in life.  When we have good relationships it improves our efficiency,  brings collaboration, increases our performance and productivity leading to work satisfaction and achievement of our goals.  

However, Building Relationships needs time and  effort. Here are a few ways that can help you in building strong relationships at work:

> Plan & Spend time with co workers : You may go to work everyday with a lot of tasks to be finished which may make spending time with coworkers seem like a  waste of time but a small change in your time sheet where you plan for time with co-workers can go a long way in building a relationship and increase your efficiency.

> Listen Actively : It’s good to speak up and talk  about your opinions and thoughts but Listening will help you understand their perspective. They will listen to you, when you allow them to speak and  listen to what they have to say first.

> If you need help, ask :  it’s ok to not know everything. In fact be a little vulnerable. No one likes a know it all person. In fact, people want to help but you need to ask. When you don’t ask you add stress for yourself, In our minds we fear being  Judged by the others for not knowing something. However, when you have a good relationship with the other person, use it to leverage their strengths and complement each other.

> >Stay away from Gossip :  Gossip never helps. In fact it can only eat into Trust and bring negativity at the workplace. And don’t forget those who gossip about others can also gossip about you.

> Appreciate  : How did you feel when you were not appreciated for your  hard work in a project which had gone off very well. We all want appreciation and  positive feedback. It lifts your mood instantly. Likewise, your co-workers also need appreciation. Always appreciate their work and  share the credit where it is due.

      It is important to focus on our goals but won’t it more satisfying if the journey to the goals has been equally fulfilling ? That can happen by consciously Communicating Effectively. Your Communication can build or break a relationship. A little but conscious shift in your communication will go a long way in building strong relationships and also increase your productivity. Start by becoming aware and making small changes everyday.  I conduct trainings on “Effective Communication to Enhance Productivity”. To know more, connect with me.