It was a bright and sunny Monday morning, and Emily had been meaning to build a stronger relationship with her colleague, Jack. They had been working together for a few months now, but their conversations had always been brief and focused on work-related matters. Emily wanted to change that.
As she walked past Jack's office, she noticed him looking a bit tired and stressed. Emily thought that a nice cup of coffee could be just what Jack needed to perk up his day. She mustered up the courage to ask him if he would like to grab a coffee together.
Jack agreed, and they made their way to the café around the corner. As they walked, Emily asked Jack about his weekend and shared a bit about hers. They chatted about their hobbies, interests, and families, discovering that they had a lot in common.
When they arrived at the café, they ordered their coffee and found a comfortable spot to sit. They continued their conversation, talking about work and sharing their perspectives on different projects. Emily listened realizing that he had a lot of valuable experience that she could learn from.
As they finished their coffee and headed back to the office, Emily made a mental note to keep up the conversation and continue building a strong and trusting relationship with Jack.
From that day forward, Emily and Jack would grab coffee together every other week, the coffee breaks had become a tradition, and their conversations had become a crucial part of their work routine, allowing them to work better together and achieve their goals more effectively.
Here are ten best practices for building positive and trustworthy relationships with colleagues
- Grab a cup of coffee together: Spend some time outside of meetings, relationships take time to develop, a walk or spending a few minutes to talk over a cup of coffee can go a long way.
- Communicate openly and honestly: Effective communication is key to building strong and trustworthy relationships with colleagues. Be open and honest in your communication, and always be willing to listen to other perspectives.
- Show respect and empathy: Show respect for your colleagues by being considerate of their feelings and opinions. Empathy is also important, as it helps you understand and relate to your colleagues' experiences and perspectives.
- Collaborate and share knowledge: Collaboration is essential for building strong relationships with colleagues. Share your expertise and knowledge with others, and be open to learning from them as well.
- Keep commitments and follow through: If you make a commitment to a colleague, follow through on it. Being reliable and trustworthy is essential for building strong relationships in the workplace.
- Be responsive: Being reliable and responsive is critical for building and maintaining strong relationships with colleagues. Respond promptly to emails and messages, and always follow through on commitments.
- Be respectful of differences: Recognize and appreciate that your colleagues come from diverse backgrounds and may have different opinions and perspectives. Respect these differences and strive to learn from them.
- Be a good listener: Listening attentively is crucial for building strong relationships. Be present and engaged during conversations, and show interest in what your colleagues have to say.
- Show appreciation: Show your colleagues that you value their contributions by expressing appreciation and gratitude for their work. Small gestures such as saying "thank you" or acknowledging a job well done can go a long way in building trust and goodwill.
- Seek feedback: Asking for feedback shows that you value your colleagues' opinions and are open to constructive criticism. Be receptive to feedback and take action on it when appropriate. It will help you improve and strengthen your relationships with your colleagues.
