Leaders and their teams need to have two-way, respectful and empowering relationships in order to succeed on many levels.

I often challenge teams and individuals that I work with to think about the health of their overall relationships inside and outside the organizations they work for. Sometimes they look at me puzzled as to why I would ask such a question.  

Really think about it. It starts with knowing those you work with as people, not what they do for the organization but who they are as a human being. Imagine if you didn’t trust your immediate manager, employees or colleagues? How productive and successful are you going to be at moving yourself and team forward? 

The traditional hierarchy still exists in the virtual world of work even though the playing field has been leveled because we have all had to undergo such enormous personal and professional change and at rapid speed. A recent study shows that most organizations have stepped up to assist their people through these challenging, yet opportunist times. Still, at the heart of it, no matter what we are going through you need to leverage best practices to keep everyone working at their optimal best.

5 Tips For Managing Healthy Relationships at Work 

#1 – Take Your Relationships Very Seriously

Don’t take your work relationships lightly. Work relationships are incredibly significant, both personally and professionally, and your organization’s success or failure will hinge upon your ability to create strong relationships with those around you. It is equally important to create an organizational culture where positive relationships matter to everyone, regardless of title or position. Your people are your business. Treat them well, and your business will grow.

#2 – Make Sure People Feel Heard

Listening is one of the most powerful relationship-building tools available. Today, it is a non-negotiable skill. As a leader, you must employ active and empathetic listening so you can help employees do the best job they can under the circumstances. Everyone recognizes that business must carry on but if they know their leader is compassionate to their individual situation, they will be much more motivated to take an active part in contributing to the organization. 

#3 – Check In As Often As You Can

I think it is safe to say you can’t wait until an employee’s annual review before you sit down and take stock of their performance. Doing your performance reviews may be tricky right now, with all the extenuating circumstances that have surrounded the changes in the workplace, but they are still useful to gauge how someone is handling their role. We recommend checking in regularly and offering your support to assist your people in working through challenges and to ensure everyone stays on track. Then by the time their annual review comes around, you will have a much better view of their overall performance.

#4 – Keep Your Word

Relationships need to be built on a foundation of trust for them to work. So, it’s critical that you honor your promises and commitments. You know firsthand how frustrating it is when someone lets you down and doesn’t deliver as committed. Few things erode trust more quickly than broken promises and failure to deliver on commitments.  

#5 – Have Patience

It takes time to build and maintain strong, effective relationships with others. A single conversation or meeting is never going to solve relationship issues; it takes a series of interactions to establish – or rebuild – trust. And today, it’s more important than ever to build meaningful and respectful relationships. They are the anchor on which you will build your organization’s success.

Create an Engaged Workforce by Building Strong Relationships

Your organization is not just an office suite, a building, or a collage of people working remotely. It is a collection of people intertwined in relationships with one another. By focusing on improving the relationships you have with those around you both internally and externally, you will have a better chance of achieving your collective goals and objectives. 

Do you have any additional advice or insight about organizational relationships? We would love to hear what you think, so please send an email to joanne.trotta@leadersedgeinc.ca or call me at 1.855.871.3374.