In the last episode of our four-part relationship-building series, Tonya Ladipo and Elizabeth Byrne discuss the importance of maintaining strong relationships in the workplace.
They emphasize the need for intentionality and purpose in team-building activities, and the importance of including all team members in the decision-making process.
Key Takeaways:
- Developing a personal and human connection with others at work does not [necessarily] mean knowing intimate parts of their lives. Build connections from what people choose to share with you. Respect that people have different comfort levels of what they will share about their personal lives at work.
- Maintaining and strengthening your relationships at work also means knowing people’s individual boundaries.
- Needs, expectations, and relationship dynamics change over time. Even when you’ve had the same team for years as people evolve, so do group dynamics.
Reflection Questions:
- Consider some of your healthy personal or professional long-term relationships. What makes them healthy? How have they changed over time? What actions do you take to maintain these relationships?
- Checking in over time becomes an important part of managing and maintaining a healthy relationship, even when things are great. Consider your relationships and interactions with your direct reports or colleagues. What continues to work well? What could be altered to deepen the relationship?
- Intentional gatherings support developing and deepening relationships. Reflect on your company-sponsored gatherings. Do they achieve the planned intent? Are they planned and scheduled in an inclusive manner that allows for people with various responsibilities to attend?
Action Items:
- Be intentional as healthy relationships require ongoing effort. Schedule a check-in with your direct reports to see what’s working well for them and what could be even better in their role.
- Listen and show appreciation to your team and colleagues. Set time on your calendar to send a note or message of appreciation for their personal and professional wins. Shoutouts are also a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge others.
- Create a mix of big and small opportunities for the team to gather. Be clear about the intent of the gathering (i.e. social, team building, strategy planning, etc.) and inclusive in the planning of events. Consider having social gatherings during work time, not only after hours as people have various personal commitments to manage (e.g. family care).
Additional Resources:
- The Power of Healthy Relationships at Work
- Building Good Relationships
- The Little Things That Affect Our Work Relationships
Don’t miss episodes from Managing Well’s Relationship-Building Series:
- Ep 30: Relationship-Building – Set the Foundation with Elizabeth Byrne (Part 1)
- Ep 31: Relationship-Building – When Conflict Happens with Elizabeth Byrne (Part 2)
- Ep 32: Relationship-Building – Rupture and Repair with Elizabeth Byrne (Part 3)
The Managing Well podcast, with host Tonya Ladipo, talks about wellness in the workplace with people leaders, mental health professionals, HR experts, and more. Click the link to subscribe to the podcast and get the latest episodes.