Developing strong interpersonal relationships in the workplace contributes to culture and provides increased job satisfaction. From mindtools.com:

Human beings are naturally social creatures – we crave friendship and positive interactions, just as we do food and water. So it makes sense that the better our relationships are at work, the happier and more productive we’re going to be.

This makes intuitive sense – we spend a large portion of our days at our workplace. By having strong relationships, we improve the quality of that time. We can call it friendship or simply connecting on a level with teammates in which you’re motivated to make sacrifices for them and they you. Creating bonds and building trust doesn’t happen over night. It occurs over long periods of time with consistent and continual effort and communication.

This is the foundation of every good relationship. When you trust your team and colleagues, you form a powerful bond that helps you work and communicate more effectively. If you trust the people you work with, you can be open and honest in your thoughts and actions, and you don’t have to waste time and energy “watching your back.”

When I was working for FOX, I built a strong working relationship with one of our producers. We teamed up on many projects and built trust over time. We knew that we had the same goal, to net a quality segment. We didn’t always see eye-to-eye, and that was a good thing.

People with good relationships not only accept diverse people and opinions, but they welcome them. For instance, when your friends and colleagues offer different opinions from yours, you take the time to consider what they have to say, and factor their insights into your decision-making.

Conversations sparked by well researched or thought out opinions on opposing sides are generally productive, particularly if there is mutual admiration or, at a minimum, respect. That respect can be gained through the effort, even if it’s exceptionally hard at the outset, to get to know someone. Perpetual movement in the direction of even a difficult to reach coworker can have substantial long term benefits. These are worthwhile time expenditures. From Forbes:

…friends were more committed to the projects at the outset, they communicated better while working and they gave their teammates free-flowing positive feedback. If their colleagues were screwing up in some way, they were more comfortable offering critical comments and helping their colleagues get back on task. By contrast, the acquaintances worked in their individual bubbles, reluctant to ask for help. They never came together as a collaborative group.

At the end of the day, many of us work to inspire and be inspired. The tighter your working relationships, the greater chance of positive galvanization.

Make that connection today,

Kap