How to Build Strong Relationships with Your Colleagues

People are at the heart of every business, and no company would work without them.

By building strong and honest relationships across the entire workforce, employees will feel loved and valued, rather than disposable. In turn, this improves employee productivity, which will lead to a higher quality of work.

Below, are some routines that will have a positive impact on your employees:

Communication

One of the most effective practices implemented in any workplace is communication between colleagues. This can be done face-to-face in a meeting where thoughts can be explained and discussed efficiently or in a more informal setting. Either way, it should always be encouraged to keep things moving forward smoothly.

Comfort

Most of us spend more time at work than we do at home. Therefore your team should feel comfortable in their work environment. This can be improved in numerous ways; staff relationships, office interior, and office furniture.

Ergonomic desk chairs are becoming more popular within offices; with tested health benefits and improvements in posture, it is a firm step towards looking after your staff.

Freedom

Offices can quickly look dull and uninspiring; by allowing employees to decorate their office desks with personal accessories, you thread individuality and inspiration into the workplace as an employer.

It doesn’t have to be anything over the top, merely allowing employees to display houseplants or set up picture frames on their desks will help bring some life to the office. This helps the staff to express themselves and increases a feeling of maturity and independence at work, helping to improve work ethic and motivation.

Praise

Where praise is due, it should be given. Praise will keep your employees motivated and happy, but it will improve confidence and ability to discuss ideas and issues. The aim is to empower your people to feel more comfortable in their professional relationships with senior business members.

Development Plans

Attending work day after day with no plans or objectives can become a drag and demotivating.

However, by installing development plans into the workplace for each employee, you can work closely together to explore what your employees would like to achieve, with an action plan to help achieve them. This also allows you to give constructive feedback when you review their progress towards achieving their set goals.

Location

Review your workplace location, and use it to both your and your employee’s advantage. Spending 8 to 9 hours every day in the same building becomes monotonous. Change it up every now and then to keep employees interested. Or let your staff remote work a couple of days a week.

If you’re city-based, you could choose to hold some of your meetings in a café, or if you have plenty of outdoor space, incorporate some outdoor seating and activities for employees to enjoy on their breaks.

Following a few of these simple steps can reinforce respect and patience in the workplace, demonstrating to your employees that you care about their welfare.

This creates a friendly environment where colleagues want to help each other and do the best they can in return for being treated as a valued individual rather than an asset.