A Guide to Building Better Relationships with Your Colleagues

While you may not be expecting them to become your life-long friends, building a healthy and solid relationship with your colleagues is an important part of having a fun work life and a successful career. So, how do you accomplish this? Simply put the following tips at work, and you’ll surely be able to spark a bond between you and your co-workers both in and out of the office.

1. Work Hard

Let’s get real, nobody likes to be friends with a slacker. So if you’re thinking of building a stronger relationship between you and your colleagues, start by ensuring that your job performance is up to par. Complete the projects assigned to you on or ahead of time, and promptly respond to the messages of your team members. Always give your best at your job day in and out, because only a few people are eager to be friends with an office loafer who constantly shirks his or her responsibilities and passes the buck.

2. Lend a Helping Hand

On the same token, it’s hard not to like someone who’s constantly there to lend a helping hand. Being conscientious and helpful instantly makes anyone more likeable. So if you can, offer to assist a colleague who’s positively buried under work, or take a detailed notes in a meeting when he or she’s out sick. Not only is it a nice thing to do, it’s also a great starting point for establishing a solid and mutually beneficial office relationship.

3. Steer Clear from Office Gossips

Falling into the office gossip trap is easy, since it seems like a great way to actually solidify relationships at work. After all, that particular person must really like or trust you to take the time to approach you and gripe about another employee or your boss. However, you don’t need me to tell you that office gossips always return to bite you. So do your best to completely disengage in such things. After all, a relationship centred on office gossips isn’t something that you’d want nurture.

4. Participate in Office Events or Outings

Maybe you hate the idea of waking up early on a Saturday morning just to volunteer for an activity with your department, but office events are actually an amazing venue to know your colleagues outside the four walls of your workplace. So get out there, and take part in the events organized by your company. Through this, you’ll be able to connect with your co-workers on an entirely different level – and you might even be surprised at how much fun the event may turn out.

5. Organize an Event

Not all Singapore companies put together outings and events where employees participate in, but that doesn’t also mean that you and your colleagues just have to resign yourselves to your quick conversations by the copy machine. There’s nothing stopping you from organizing a laidback activity that gets you and your colleagues out of the office to experience some fun. So take the initiative to organize a happy hour after your work. After all, nothing brings people together like some good appetizers and a few drinks.

6. Look for a Common Ground

While it’s easier to form conversations about meetings, work emails and phone messages, looking into interests and passions that you share with your colleague is still a great way to establish a good office relationship with them. Whether you’re both dying to know what’s going to happen next on How to Get Away With Murder, or you’re both training for your first triathlon race, having something to connect over – aside from your shared hatred for expense reports – can help you build a solid work relationship.

7. Do Random Acts of Kindness

Establishing a good relationship with your co-workers doesn’t need to involve grandiose gestures. Simply taking time to do something for them is already enough to kick-off your budding friendship. You can pick up the favourite coffee drink of your desk mate, leave a birthday greeting card on the celebrant’s desk, or share a box of donuts on a Monday morning. These may be small deeds, but these gestures will surely leave a huge impact on your co-workers.

When you spend a lot of time at work, establishing relationship with your colleagues can make a big difference in your attitude in the office and your opinion of your job. Sparking these relationships, however, can seem a bit complicated and even a little awkward. Luckily, building solid connections with these people has become more than doable. So put the aforementioned tips into action, and prepare to be the most liked person in your office.