Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Three Tips for developing and maintaining relationships in the workplace



Hello Readers,

Answer this question, how many of your close friends started with a relationship developed in the workplace? I can name quite a few, however I can only name 2 or 3 that I am still in contact with today. We as adults go to work to earn a paycheck and do satisfying work along the way (well that is the way it should be); however, we WILL meet people and start to develop relationships. We do not “plan” to meet anyone but, because we are human and we need to “feel” loved we will naturally seek to talk to people whether you are introverted or extroverted. I have learned along the way some of the relationships are just for “work” and some are for a life time. I follow these three tips to help me in discerning relationships at work.

1. Give and Take. No this is not being selfish. In any relationship there should be a give and take factor. I can look at all of my friends whether I met them at work or not and I can see where I can contribute to them and I can see where they contribute to me. Ask yourself do you find yourself always giving to the other party and receiving nothing in return? If yes, this relationship will not last. If you are the taker, then you may want to start evaluating how you can give to the other party. There should be some level ground, it may not be 50/50 all the time but, you will know how to gauge who is giving/taking more.

2. Is there a foundation away from work? Seems like a simple factor however, very profound. If work is all you and the other party can speak about when you talk, then you may want to evaluate this relationship and accept it for what it is (a work relationship, nothing more). The easiest method for this is to ask what else you share in common with the other party. Majority of ALL relationships have something in common, there has to be something that connected you to that person in the first place. Remember what brought you and the other person together. 

3. Support. A “true” friend will tell you the truth and not hide anything from you. They will always have your best interest at heart and they will not take someone else's word about you over what they have come to learn about you themselves. Can you meet this person at work? Yes you can. True friends are developed at work all the time. Simply follow steps 1 and 2 and you will know if they are a true friend or not. 

These are lessons I have learned along the way in life and still practice.

Your thoughts are welcome...

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