You’re struggling to connect with your colleagues. How can you build a better relationship?

Business and relationships are built on Know, Like, Trust factors. Part of getting to know a person is caring about who they are, what they feel is important and how we can be of assistance. Open ended questions can lead others to talk and being a patient listener allows us to learn more about them. One of my favorite things to do when building relationships in a place of work is bringing in various sweets to share monthly and leaving little cards or stickers with inspirational/kindness quotes.

Apply Tuckman Model - 1) Forming 2) Storming 3) Norming 4) Performing This model can be applied in real time scenarios to increase the productivity and motivation levels of team members

Always start meetings with small-talk. Even up to 10mins. Focus on their interests and try not to talk about yourself too much. That way... people will enjoy working with you.

Be positive and approach: Building relationships with your new colleagues could be easy or difficult as well. It depends on the behaviour of your colleagues (team) or the environment of your work culture. Hence, for that, stay positive and approachable, because you need their support to make yourself comfortable with your team. Don't be egoistic; slowly show your genuine interest in making a professional relationship with them. Try to build your relationship, take a positive step, and take initiative to do a task or a project. Remember, nothing is impossible; they might be different in nature, but your approachable and helping attitude can help build a long-term relationship with your colleagues.?

Definitivamente conocer es entender. Toda situación o realidad sin contexto, viene de un sesgo de información. Así que por completo, me acerco y busco conocer a la persona: sus inquietudes, sus sue?os, su día a día y si se puede, algo de su vida personal. Siempre con todo respeto y con la ética suficiente de no usar dicha información para da?ar.

Respect is key to building better relationships when struggling to connect with colleagues. Show genuine interest in their perspectives and listen actively during conversations. Acknowledge their contributions and respect their boundaries. Avoid gossip or negative talk, and approach conflicts with a solution-focused mindset. Demonstrating respect fosters trust and creates a positive work environment, paving the way for stronger connections.

O respeito é imprescindível na rela??o do trabalho. E ele pode estar presente no cumprimento cordial, na linguagem n?o violenta ao discordar, e o cuidado deve ser estendido às intera??es textuais. As vezes, ao redigir um texto a alguém colocamos palavras repletas de diálogos internos que, se interpretadas erroneamente, podem aborrecer o receptor. O respeito nos convida à empatia. E ela traz a boa convivência.

When struggling to connect with colleagues, being supportive can strengthen your relationships. Offer help when they face challenges, celebrate their successes, and give constructive feedback when needed. Show empathy and understanding towards their situations. Being a supportive and reliable team member fosters trust and camaraderie, making it easier to build meaningful connections.

Offer to help your colleagues work through an issue. Forget that you have a title. You're main title is "team member", that way you'll find yourself being less restricted and more helpful.

It's paradoxical that being 'authentic' is often confused with putting on a facade. Authenticity means staying true to your core identity. When considering how you would like to come across professionally, I always recommend avoiding conforming to generic archetypes. Instead, lean into your magic and uniqueness, such as your experiences and strengths, and be yourself, as this is when you will perform at your best. Making sure you deliver on what you say you will do, be reliable in your role, and extend trust to others can create a sturdy structure where relationships can naturally grow and evolve.??

If you find it difficult to connect with your colleagues, it can be helpful to take a proactive approach. You can begin by starting conversations and demonstrating interest in their work and personal interests. You can also suggest team-building activities or collaborative projects, offer to help with their tasks, or share your expertise

This will happen, happens, has happened. One of the best ways forward is to go backward - i.e.reflect and realize firstly where the me within us could have had missteps. Be honest with yourself through the 5Ws & 1H. The answers are within us - we have to face up to it.

A mentor once shared with me that it's not necessary to like every colleague at work; what truly matters is appreciating the **quality of work** they deliver. I try to connect with these individuals and consistently take the initiative to understand their viewpoints, engage with them on a personal level, to evaluate whether these challenges stem from a **skill, insecurity or will** issue. However, some people remain entrenched in their own ways, uninterested in bridging the gap. In such situations, maintaining a **professional and constructive** demeanor is the wisest approach.