The Importance of Managing Workplace Relationships

Employed adults spend a considerable amount of their daily lives together. From meetings to break room run-ins to having to work literally right next to each other for the entirety of a shift, coworkers are an integral part of many peoples’ work experience. Forming and maintaining positive workplace relationships is an important part of creating a successful, fun work environment that everyone can feel comfortable in.

The surge in confidence that you can set yourself up to feel by establishing a friendly atmosphere at work cannot be overstated. Everybody works better when everyone works as a team. And successful team building begins with open communication between coworkers. It is important to reach out and introduce yourself and network with your coworkers. Even if all you can manage is a couple of minutes of small talk in the break room every day, maintaining communication lets your coworkers know that you value them as part of the group and are willing to cooperate with them as a team, which can do wonders for group morale!

Team building and an overall boost to morale aren’t the only advantages that come about as a result of positive workplace relationships- there are personal benefits as well. The most immediately noticeable of these is probably the development or improvement of your social life. When coworkers are able to get to know and appreciate you as a person and not just another face that passes by, they will want to socialise with you outside of work as well. Being social is essential for human functioning and a great way to unwind, which means the importance of connecting with coworkers cannot be understated.

When you develop meaningful relationships with your coworkers, not only will they want to have fun with you, but they’re more likely to support you mentally and emotionally in your personal life as well. Current coworkers are a great resource for additional professional and personal connections, future job references, and even a potential support system to reach out to should you fall on hard times. Being personable with one another and developing a professional level of trust in the workplace is key for developing lasting relationships with coworkers both in and out of the workplace.

Cultivating solid workplace relationships can seem like a daunting task if you are a new employee, but is well worth the ongoing effort. By taking the time to connect with your professional peers and build a mutual feeling of cooperation and respect, you will be creating a successful, worthwhile environment for not just you, but those around you, both within and without the workplace.