Businesses that are successful and exhibit good culture have employees who have cultivated strong work relationships. Employees thrive in this environment and productivity is likely to increase and skyrocket. Workplace relationships involve the way you interact and connect with colleagues – it is also a huge factor in your work output.

Fostering a good relationship in the workplace can be useful for the following reasons:

• Builds your excitement to work: Working with great people makes you look forward to work and carry out your task without animosity because a great work relationship gives room for open communication and constructive feedback.                                                                                                                                                                                     
• Boosts your team’s efficiency: When you love your job and like the people you’re working with, the team’s efficiency is boosted, which in turn leads to more success for the company.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
• Helps your overall career success: You’re thriving, doing your job, and building a career in a functional and productive environment.                                                                                                                          
• Serves as a great networking opportunity for you: Being a good and easy person to work with opens the door for more opportunities for you and makes recommendations easy.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
• Improves job satisfaction: People who have a good working relationship can enjoy work more and find drive in what they do.                                                                                                        
• Ease of carrying out tasks: When there is a great collaborative effort, carrying out necessary tasks becomes easy, and workflow is efficient and effective.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
• More collaborative efforts: There is a great opportunity to do more even outside of work to propel the advancement of one’s career.                                                                                           
• Boosts company’s image: Good energy has a way of radiating and announcing itself. A good work relationship is bound to sip into the company’s work culture and create a good image.

How do you know you have a strong work relationship?

A strong work relationship exists when the following are present: 

• Open communication
• Constructive criticism
• Great feedback
• Mutual respect: Boundaries are respected

6 Tips for Building Good Work Relationships

1. Highlight your needs, strengths, and weaknesses: Be aware of the things you want to get out of having a good work relationship. Highlight the best ways you show up, and note your weaknesses around your work and how you can leverage on them to still create a good work environment.                                                                                                                                                                                                                
2. Ask for help: Know when to ask for help – this makes other people open to supporting you and also asking you for help where necessary.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
3. Offer assistance: Showing up for people is one of the things they will never forget, and it builds a good sense of community. They know they can always count on you for support.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
4. Keep your word: When you make commitments, endeavor to keep them and give them your best shot. Do not miss deadlines for any reason, and always communicate when you have to go back on your word.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
5. Be present: Pay attention and be observant of the needs of the people in your organization.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
6. Treat work with urgency: Urgency helps you deliver on work promptly and fast. This makes you known as someone who delivers on their task without delay.

Building a strong work relationship is a great recipe for success as human capital development and functionality are the most important factors for business success. Do you have work relationship experiences that were good or otherwise? Please share in the comments.