How do you approach your colleagues at work from a relationship perspective? Do you interact at the office only and talk when you must? Do you have lunch together sometimes and part ways in the evenings and weekends only to resume office relationships on Monday? Or,do you go the extra mile to engage your work colleagues into your personal life away from your desk?
I'll admit I've generally fallen into category number one. I have tended to do my own thing and not say too much. But, over time, I realized it didn't add to my success at work. I think the perception if you are a loner, is that you are unhappy and don't like people. That may be you, but it's not me.
I recently had the opportunity to join a friend and his colleagues out for a team dinner. Over the course of the meal and conversation, I realized the rapport and camaraderie built up among the team was so strong, and I was convinced that events like this meal are part of the reason why. They treated each other like friends in addition to co-workers. They look out for one another and treat each other with the love of friends.
After recently going through a major attitude adjustment about choosing joy and happiness over listening to voices of fear and timidity, I decided I wanted to adopt more of the inner office relationships that I observed at the dinner. Since then, I made a concerted effort to stop and speak to people as I pass by in the office. It doesn't have to be an in depth conversation that pulls people away from their work for a half hour. We know those people too. Since making an effort to invest in my office relationships, I've noticed I'm seeing more success in my work. I enjoy the work I'm doing more, and I like engaging with my friends while I happen to be at the office. There are many ways you can improve your work relationships. Just try.
I envision developing a work family in the true sense of the word, family. I want to support my work family through busy times, joys, and trials. Just think if your work environment can supplement your emotional state the way your home life can. If you have those strong relationships in place, your happiness at work can really propel forward.
As in any relationship, you don't enter the state of closeness immediately. It takes time and a conscious effort to be considerate of your neighbor. If you've got nothing else, just smile and say, "hi."
I know I'm putting a new foot forward in my approach to more effective inner office relationships. I hope you will too because you can!
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