Personal Development

Find out how to improve interpersonal relationships at work

admin • 17 Sep 2023

Interpersonal relationships are essential for a good organizational climate, as well as for the development of your career.

Every professional must pay attention to the quality of their relationships, as this can be a determining factor in the success of their career and even the company.

So, to help you develop and maintain healthy relationships at work, we've prepared some tips that can be applied in everyday life.

The importance of interpersonal relationships at work

The concept of interpersonal relationships is related to how professionals deal with conflicts, crises and different profiles in the work environment.

For example, in a company where interpersonal relationships are weak, the organizational climate is negative.

Therefore, communication does not flow, people lose focus, productivity is low and disagreements are frequent.

Therefore, in a scenario like this, both the company and professionals lose out.

Some reasons to improve interpersonal relationships at work are:

• Interpersonal relationships affect communication, productivity and even people's health;
• The decision-making process becomes simpler;
• It's rewarding to know that our coworkers care about us.
• Facilitates conflict management;

In short, the interpersonal relationships you develop at work are fundamental to the success of your work and career.

Important skills for good interpersonal relationships

To have good interpersonal relationships, you need to have some skills.

Many of these skills you already use daily when interacting with people at work.

Some examples are:

• Active listening
• Team work
• Responsibility
• Leadership
• Motivation
• Flexibility
• Patience
• Empathy
• Conflict resolution
• Negotiation
• ethic

Tips for improving interpersonal relationships in the workplace

Regardless of the area of ​​activity, interpersonal skills must be continually improved and applied in our work routine.

Therefore, if you consider yourself an introvert or having difficulty developing interpersonal relationship skills, follow these tips:

1. Cultivate a positive outlook

Learn to be positive . Remind yourself every day of the good things about your life and your work.

So if you're upset about a personal matter, put those feelings aside until after work.

Likewise, if you are stressed about a problem at work, look for the positive side of the situation and try to resolve it in the best way possible.

2. Control your emotions

Work is not the place to be overly emotional. Even if you are angry, depressed or very happy, take a deep breath and calm your emotions.

Another tip is to practice self-knowledge . This makes it easier to develop the ability to understand and control your emotions.

3. Recognize the work of others

One of the best ways to build trust at work is to let your colleagues know that you appreciate their expertise.

So when someone does a good job, give them a compliment. Another example is valuing the opinions of your colleagues when you have the opportunity.

Likewise, asking for help when you need it and giving credit when someone deserves it are also great forms of appreciation.

4. Show real interest in your colleagues

You work side by side with your colleagues for hours every day. So, it's normal to learn something about their lives.

So make a point of knowing what's important to your coworkers.

For example, chat for a few minutes or try to discover what interests you have in common.

In addition to improving your day-to-day life, it helps you maintain a good relationship with your co-workers.

5. Find a quality in each coworker

You don't have to like everyone at work. However, you cannot let personal preference get in the way of your performance.

But what if a colleague's personality directly conflicts with yours?

The best way to deal with this situation is to find at least one good trait in the person.

Even better is to give preference to some professional characteristic.

6. Practice active listening

Often, when communicating with other people, we focus on what we should say.

However, effective communication is less about “talking” and more about “listening”.

In other words, it means not only understanding the words or information that is being communicated, but also understanding the emotions that the interlocutor is trying to convey.

You can do this by maintaining eye contact with the speaker, nodding your head, and repeating what the person says in your own words.

This way, the person you are interacting with will feel respected. Plus, you're much more likely to be able to remember the conversation more easily later.

7. Be assertive

Direct and assertive expression contributes to clear communication, as well as helping to increase your self-esteem and decision-making skills .

Being assertive means expressing your thoughts, feelings and needs in an open and honest way.

But that doesn't mean being hostile, aggressive or demanding.

Therefore, effective communication is always about understanding the other person , not about winning an argument or forcing opinions on others.

Therefore, trust your abilities and your opinions. And don't be afraid to express your needs or your limits.

8. Practice empathy

Empathy is very important to make our relationships lighter, more respectful and honest.

Therefore, have a broad view of things. So, try to put yourself in other people's shoes.

This is a great way to find solutions that work for everyone.

9. Take care of your relationships

How is your networking? This is a great strategy to expand opportunities and advance your career.

Therefore, keep in touch with college friends and former colleagues on social media or by email. Likewise, try to schedule face-to-face meetings from time to time.

It may not seem important, but these simple actions demonstrate that you value the relationship, and this only brings benefits to your career.