_Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success_ - Henry Ford.

We spend roughly [_90,000 hours_](https://www.gettysburg.edu/news/stories?id=79db7b34-630c-4f49-ad32-4ab9ea48e72b&pageTitle=1%2F3+of+your+life+is+spent+at+work#:~:text=The%20average%20person%20will%20spend%2090%2C000%20hours%20at%20work%20over%20a%20lifetime.) at work in our lifetime. So, its understandable that positive workplace relationships should be a necessity, not a bonus.

In fact, a healthy workplace culture is the secret to any successful business. When people get along well with one another, theyre more likely to collaborate better, work efficiently and stay loyal to the organisation.

Best-selling author and coach, Michael Bungay Stanier highlights in his upcoming June 2023 book release _How To Work With \(Almost\) Anyone_ the pillars for setting up successful working relationships. This includes knowing **how to navigate dark spots** , **understanding how you communicate** and **staying** **curious**.

In light of [Michael Bungay Staniers 2023 live virtual masterclass](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/workplacerelationships) held on the Growth Faculty platform, well unpack what good workplace relationships look like, and 6 ways to form them with your coworkers.

**Why Are Good Workplace Relationships Important?**

Creating and maintaining strong workplace relationships is crucial.

When we get along well with our colleagues, we work better as a team, have stronger workplace morale, greater productivity, and job satisfaction. In fact, [_studies_](https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/249605/having-best-friend-work-transforms-workplace.aspx) show that employees who have a good friend at work are **7x more likely** to be happy and engaged in their work.

A good working relationship requires [_building trust_](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/buildtrustinworkplace) , inclusion, self-awareness, respect and open communication with coworkers and managers. This creates a [_psychologically safe workplace_](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/psychologicallysafeworkplaces) where employees are comfortable speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes.

On the other hand, if team members dont get along, it creates a [_toxic workplace culture_](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/Toxicworkplaceculture) of little to no trust, low job satisfaction, burnout and even poor mental health. This impacts your motivation and holds you back from doing your best work.

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**7 Ways To Build Strong Workplace Relationships**

_Take the responsibility to be the agent of change in relationships that matter to you_ - Michael Bungay Stanier.

Workplace relationships dictate the way you collaborate with colleagues, how you connect with clients and your overall happiness and success in your career. But **building good working relationships** isnt always easy.

As Stanier highlights _,_ _Not every relationship can be rainbows and unicorns and free-flowing ginger beer_. They involve patience, self-awareness, and allowing time for colleagues to get you and for you to get them - but its worth the investment.

Heres 7 helpful tips to build strong and healthy, clean and clear working relationships:

**1\. Listen, _Actively_**

In his best-selling book _The Coaching Habit,_ Michael Bungay Stanier highlights that by **saying less and asking more** , we can elevate our communication skills with coworkers.

After all, quality, two-way communication is the foundation of any healthy personal or professional relationship.

Actively listening to what your coworkers have to say and responding respectfully helps you understand problems and collaborate better to find solutions. Stanier suggests asking [_seven key open-ended questions_](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/GREATIDEASTheCoachingHabitbyMichaelBungayStanier) to get the ball rolling.

Using these active listening techniques helps others feel heard and emotionally supported. It also demonstrates that youre patient and interested to hear what the other person has to say, creating a bond of trust and respect.

**2\. Avoid Gossip**

_Trust is the confidence among team members that their peers intentions are good and that there is no reason to be protective or careful around the group._  Patrick Lencioni.

Engaging in office gossip is the fastest way to erode workplace relationships. It fuels a toxic workplace culture that can lead to backstabbing, bullying, employees taking time off work and a general absence of psychological safety.

Bungay Stanier notes that while it is tempting to bring gossip into the workplace, it doesnt help you achieve anything meaningful. He suggests that to foster a healthy work environment, we should avoid talking about coworkers behind their backs and instead focus on our own thoughts and decisions.

_Just telling someone what you dont like or reaffirming another does not actually lead to growth. Instead, we need to focus on what can be controlled, mainly in our own mind, thoughts and decisions._ - Michael Bungay Stanier.

If an issue does arise with a coworker, talk to them about it directly in a polite and honest way. If the issue prevails, try calling a meeting with a superior and the individual to address the issue in a professional manner.

**3\. Be Consistent**

Theres nothing worse than a coworker who continuously fails to deliver on deadlines, especially in a team environment. As Influence at Work UK CEO Steve Martin taught delegates in [_his masterclass for Growth Faculty_](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/MasterclassonInfluenceatWork) , when coworkers perceive you as inconsistent, theyll start to believe youre unreliable and untrustworthy  even if that isnt true.

Practice consistency in the workplace by always meeting deadlines, completing tasks you set out to or attending events. It demonstrates that youre dependable, reliable and hold yourself accountable, creating the foundations for a trustworthy relationship.

**4\. Be Self Aware**

_Without \[EQ\], a person can have the best training in the world, an incisive, analytical mind, and an endless supply of smart ideas, but he still wont make a great leader_ - Daniel Goleman.

Building close relationships is almost impossible without well-rounded self-awareness and [_emotional intelligence_](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/emotionalintelligence) \(EQ\).

Emotional intelligence is a [_soft skill_](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/softskillsinworkplace) that makes us aware of our strengths, weaknesses, wants and motivations. In the workplace, EQ allows us to take responsibility for our actions, and not let our emotions negatively impact those around us.

_If staff feel that their managers understand their problems and issues, recognize their abilities and talents, trust their managers, and have effective business relationships with their managers, they will help their managers, so the quality of the relationship between manager and staff will be increased._ - Soleimani & Einolahzadeh.

To improve our emotional intelligence, Bungay Stanier says we need to focus on **staying curious a little longer**. This helps us better identify and respond to the emotions of others.

Without curiosity and self-awareness, youll struggle to navigate difficult situations and create a negative environment in the workplace.

**5\. Be Collaborative**

Being open and willing to collaborate with other colleagues is essential for healthy workplace relationships. It shifts the traditional go it alone business mentality to working together to achieve a common goal.

To collaborate with coworkers effectively, Michael Bungay Stanier recommends co-writing an **operating manual**. This manual clarifies the roles and responsibilities of team members, and _how_ youll work together. This helps us communicate clearly, bring out the best in others, and bring out the best in ourselves. It also mitigates the risk of misunderstandings occurring further down the track.

**6\. Ask For Help**

Asking for help at work can be tough, but the skills youll develop and the stronger relationships youll foster with your coworkers makes it worthwhile.

Asking for help shows that youre willing to take initiative when youre unsure, instead of completing poor quality work. It shows that youre willing to be vulnerable with your coworkers, and thats where positive, trusting relationships develop.

Asking for help may also foster the introduction of [_workplace coaching_](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/workplacecoaching) program. Coaching helps reinforce an employee's strengths and identify areas for improvement. Bungay Stanier notes that instead of showing and telling, coaching is about teaching employees **how to fish**. It provides employees with the skills, knowledge and tools they need to flourish.

**7\. Be Aware Of Your Advice Monster**

Michael Bungay Stanier notes that during conversations, were often temped to jump in and offer advice at the first chance we get.

However, this can stifle workplace relationships in a number of ways. It robs employees of the opportunity to come to their own conclusions, and creates a reliance on you as the answer to all their problems.

Instead, Stanier suggests we need to be aware of our Advice Monster and stay curious for a bit longer. Go a minute without jumping in to offer advice, and instead ask another question like _whats the real challenge here for you?_.

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