7 Tips for Building a Good Working Relationship With Colleagues
Luckily, building good working relationships with your colleagues doesn’t have to be difficult; keep these seven tips in mind when you’re interacting with others and you’ll be on your way to being on good terms with just about everyone at work!
1) Know their personality type
1. Get to know their personality type. On the Myers-Briggs personality scale, it's important to know how your colleague prefers to interact in the workplace. Is your colleague more introverted and analytical? Or are they more extroverted and charismatic? Understanding their personality type can help you better tailor your communication style with them so that you don't overwhelm them or miss out on valuable perspectives.
2. Share what you're passionate about. If you have common interests with your colleagues, share those passions! When people feel like they have something in common with someone else, it makes it easier to connect with that person and build a relationship with them.
2) Don’t but them
1. Be open and respectful to others - we're all human beings with feelings.
2. Be punctual - if you're late, it's hard for the team to meet deadlines or find a balance between their personal and professional lives.
3. Listen when your colleagues speak - don't interrupt them and be attentive to what they have to say.
4. Be proactive in sharing knowledge with others on the team so that you can create opportunities for everyone on the team to learn from each other and grow as professionals together.
5. Offer help when someone needs it without being asked - don't hesitate because it might save somebody's day who would appreciate your support more than you could ever know!
6. Appreciate the contributions of others to the group: show empathy, understand how people feel, give praise where it is due, offer feedback constructively and share credit for successes.
3) Look at things from their perspective
It can be easy to see other people as obstacles in the way of your success, but seeing them as colleagues that you need to work well with is a more productive mindset. Seek to understand their point of view and try not to be offended by their words or actions. If you are having trouble getting along with someone, put yourself in their shoes and think about what may have caused them to behave the way they do.
4) Understand how they get what they want
1. Be mindful of the person's needs and how you can help them to get what they want.
2. Ask questions about the person's background and interests, so that you can understand their perspective better.
3. Listen more than you talk, especially when the person is talking about something that they care deeply about or are passionate about.
4. Mirror the person's body language so that they feel like you are on their side, in agreement with them, and wanting to work together with them to find solutions rather than being on opposite sides of an argument.
5. Seek out similarities between your interests or passions and those of others in order to build common ground before discussing differences or disagreements with others who have different perspectives from your own beliefs or values.
5) Do something nice for them
1. Compliment them on their work.
2. Offer to help them with tasks they find difficult.
2. Show interest in their personal lives, and remember important dates like birthdays or anniversaries.
3. Be empathetic when they are having a bad day or need to make an emotional decision at work, even if you don't agree with it.
4. Ask about their hobbies and share your own passions with them whenever possible- not just at the office holiday party!
6) Avoid surprises
One of the best ways to avoid surprises is to set clear expectations. Whether you are meeting with someone on an individual level or in a group setting, make sure that you're both on the same page about what will happen and who will do what. For example, if you're meeting with someone in your office, you can ask them to bring any materials they need like their laptop or notebook. You can also let them know if there are any particular tasks they should complete while they are in your office or company. If you're meeting with someone outside of the office, try to create some time blocks so they know when they should come back and what's expected of them in each time block. It may be helpful to discuss how long they will spend at each location and what type of activities they'll be doing during that time. It might also be helpful to share contact information with each other in case something comes up unexpectedly and one person has to cancel.
7) Listen to their needs and concerns
A good way to build rapport is by listening to your colleague's needs and concerns. For example, if you notice that someone is looking more tired than usual, ask them how they're doing and see if there's anything you can do to help. Or if someone has been working on something you'd like to take over, offer your assistance without being asked. Remember that while it can be easy to get frustrated with colleagues or work related tasks, everyone has different ideas of what their ideal work day looks like so it's important to have a positive mindset when approaching any new situation.
