We all crave connections, maybe even more so now after spending the last three years social distancing and quarantining. But what does this mean for our work life?
Most of us spend the majority of our week working, so it would be natural to seek out connections at the office or within our organizational structure right? This has long been debated: Is forming relationships in the office necessary, or even appropriate?
If you have spent most of your working career seeking out the next title, salary or the newest company to work for and still find yourself discontented,
perhaps the very thing missing is strong relationships.
Research conducted by Harvard Business Review has found that rather than focusing on what job we have, we should start focusing on who it is we are working with. Through interviews with employees in diverse industries and fields, it was overwhelmingly found that truly thriving in your career depends on the relationships you build.
Even someone who finds the actual work of their job mundane considers themselves happy if they have established relationships with their coworkers.
What Is a Good Work Relationship and How Do I Build it?
A strong relationship at work, and really any other area of your life, relies on trust, respect and open communication. When coworkers trust one another, and beyond that, when coworkers trust those in management, your work environment becomes a place where everyone feels heard and seen.
When trust is built, respect and open communication naturally follow. So how is this achieved?
Relationship-building has to have a place in your daily work schedule in order to thrive. Employing multiple forms of communication, using empathy and active listening and developing an emotional intelligence are all essential in the fostering of relationships.
If you are starting to think this sounds fairly uncomplicated: Well, it is! While research may have proven that relationships are important, building them doesn’t take a lot of science.
Spend time actually talking to one another at work. Be positive and friendly in your interactions, work-related and not. And because creating a relationship takes more than one conversation, allow time to build and sustain things.
Why This Matters in Today’s World
In the wake of changes like The Great Resignation and shifts to flexible work from home schedules, employees, managers and owners alike are all seeking jobs that satisfies their mind, body and soul.
Employees who are part of an organization with strong values and strong relationships are more likely to stay put and buy into the brand they are working for. Workers are looking for something that is authentic and not a carbon copy of, well, anything.
That might feel like a daunting challenge when you own a franchise, but when your relationships are genuine and your employees are trained not just to work for you but to be creative, curious listeners that own their work, it will set your business apart.
Customers who patronize your business will see and feel the difference when they enter your doors or partake in your services. And perhaps the best benefit of all, you and your employees will be a part of creating a happier world.
Ready to start your career in relationship-building? Reach out to us today to find out how we can help