Workplace relationships are impactful, it plays a major role in how we feel about our work since we spend 80% of our time at the office.

It’s been said that people who have good friends in the workplace are more likely to be happy as productive with their jobs, and workers who have a best friend at the workplace are seven times likely to be committed to their jobs. 

Good relationships give workers a certain proportion of freedom. They focus more on the opportunities that having a familiar and friendly face at the workplace brings.

Good relationships are important for your career, and they can impact your interactions with clients, customers, and other colleges. Good relationships should consist of trust, mutual respect, understanding, and keeping the lines of communication open at all times.

So the question now is how do you manage your work relationships efficiently?

Everyone is Different 

All workplaces are made up of different personalities and that is fine. The trust in this various personality balances out the workplace and create a strong working environment overall. 

The key to having a wonderful work relationship is to understand each of your colleagues and their preferred work style. Having this basic understanding will help you accept each person and work effectively with them.

Know the company culture

Know the things that are acceptable in your working environment and what is not. This way you would avoid doing the wrong thing and not get in trouble or waste people’s time. So pay close attention to the organizations’ culture. Know the rules and regulations and the policy put in place to guide you. 

Be positive

No one wants to be around a negative person at all times. So focus on being positive even when things are difficult, try to find the positive aspect of it. Having a positive attitude towards work will help you establish a simple and comfortable working environment. By doing this, others will trust you and come to you when they feel down, exhausted and needs someone to help boost their morale.

Practice good listening 

The basis of any good communication is active listening. This involves listening before responding by summarizing what you are been told just so the speaker can feel you understand everything that has been said.

When you listening attentively to people, you will concede better. This will make your colleagues respond politely to you because they know you truly listen to them when they talk. By practicing mindful listening, what happens is that you talk less and listen more. 

Appreciate others

If a coworker helps you out in any way you should appreciate and show gratitude for their efforts. And make sure your gratitude is not fake but really genuine. Value and appreciate people for work well done, and be vocal about your appreciation. 

Set Boundaries 

Time management is very important, so make time but not too much cause sometimes work relationships can impair productivity, especially when a friend or colleague is dominating your time. Manage your time well by setting boundaries and avoid spending too much time socializing or chatting at the office. 

Take away 

People need a social and structured environment to function well and increase their productivity. Make strong and honest employee relationships in order to build a long-lasting engaging organization.