Building Workplace Relationships

The discussion of workplace relationships was an interesting topic for me.

For certain, when entering the workforce we don't always have the luxury of choosing our co-workers. In some cases this is very good because some people are prone to choose relationships that are not good for them.

However, upon entering a workplace of unfamiliar faces and attitudes, the transition can cause a little nervousness. A little nervousness is to be expected because you are not only learning a new position but you are also learning the norms of the workplace; which can be a complexed situation.

Learning the norms of the workplace isn't the hard part. The challenging part is being able to communicate effectively. Effective communication would require an individual to be able to respond to verbal and nonverbal cues. In the workplace, a major process when meeting new people/co-workers is learning their behavior and communication styles.

Upon observing and learning the communication styles of your co-workers, you must remember that you are in a professional setting. The workplace does require you to act, perform, and interact with each other in a certain way. This professional setting will alter the "real" behavior of some of your co-workers.

If behaviors are altered in the workplace, due to the norms, it is all the more challenging to build a personal relationship; if one chooses to.

Personal relationships can be great in the workplace. Unfortunately, some can manifest into a nightmare. Therefore, before building workplace relationships, it is crucial that a solid communication foundation is built and understood between all parties involved.