Building Working Relationships from Home
The interpersonal relationships between coworkers, as well as between employees and their managers, is the glue that holds strong company culture in place. If we feel comfortable being our authentic selves at work we are more productive. Making employees feel safe being their most authentic selves means creating a space for them to communicate freely and connect with one another on a personal level. Because of the new normal, and the mass migration to remote work, culture leaders are tasked with finding new ways to bring employees together and build strong working relationships, and in turn strong workplace culture.
This Tip Sheet contains four essential tips to building strong interpersonal relationships with coworkers in a remote work environment. In order to do so, companies need to leverage new technologies and allow employees to be their most authentic selves. To build strong working relationships from home, managers should:
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- Add a human element to team meetings
- Consider virtual lunches, coffee breaks, or even happy hours
- Create a space for your team to share their interests/hobbies
- Remember that your employees are all human!
Developing a strong rapport with colleagues and managers minimizes workplace conflict and opens up lines of communication that allow work processes to flow more smoothly, as well as bridging the gap created by power differentials. Though, in a time when entire workforces are conducting business from home, building relationships with colleagues can be a challenge. When we are all packed into an office together, we have coffee breaks, team lunches, and all of the little, personal conversations that happen throughout the day. Working from home does not provide the same opportunities, so we need to make a more concerted effort to get to know one another. Follow these tips to develop strong relationships with coworkers and educate your managers on how to guide their teams.
