With more people working remotely, many are struggling to form and maintain professional relationships, as face-to-face communication is limited. According to research, relationships with coworkers were identified as the top driver of employee engagement, with 77 percent listing these connections as a priority. Having positive workplace relationships and employee engagement also has a major impact on company loyalty, job satisfaction, and productivity.
People everywhere are struggling to understand and cope with the current world events. Chances are that your coworkers and other professional connections are also feeling anxious and isolated, so now may be a great time to connect with them. Improving professional relationships is more than just networking, it involves using social media, personal connections, trust, and human interaction to build community and let others know they are valued.
Reach Out
Building relationships with your colleagues isn’t as simple as it may sound. It will take time and require effort. Stary by dedicating an appropriate amount of time each day to checking in with your colleagues, friends and family. Try to spend half an hour everyday reaching out. A great and easy way to develop already existing relationships is by reaching out socially and replying to posts on social media.
Another great way to make sure you are building relationships during this time is to take a look at your contact list. Send a message to those in your network that you may have not spoken to in a while. Make sure to thoughtfully plan your communications and spread out messaging distribution so you aren’t overwhelmed when the responses start pouring in.
If you’re working on a particularly challenging project, don’t be afraid to connect with colleagues for ideas, sometimes collaboration is better than competition and can help solve the task at hand quicker and more efficiently. While research shows that in-person communication is up to 34 times as successful as text-based communication, it may not be the best option during social distancing. Video conferencing is a great alternative to communicate face-to-face and help sustain and nurture relationships.
It’s easy to lose track of the last time you checked in with your team members outside of work. Reach out to those that are also working remote right now to discuss how they are doing aside from the projects and deadlines that dominate the majority of your daily conversations.
Be Thoughtful, Personal and Responsive
Right now, your professional connections are most likely receiving an influx of messages as they work from home and rely mainly on communicating through email. Keep your messages simple and personal. You don’t have to ask several questions or share personal information right now, simply touch base to let others know you are thinking of them.
A few words is all someone needs to know you are thinking about them. Make the most of your messaging by expressing something that shows you were thinking about them personally, rather than sending a mass message. Ask about family members and communities to show that you care about them as a person and not just a professional contact.
If someone is reaching out to you, or you are receiving responses to messages you have sent out, make sure to acknowledge and respond in a timely manner. Not only does this strengthen the relationship, but it also opens up a dialogue that can be used to further build the connection over time. Answering a question or sending a positive response is a great way to let them know you received their message. If you don’t have time to write a full response, save the message and write back when you have time to put thought into it.
Stay Optimistic and Consistent to Protect Your Reputation
Reaching out to your coworkers and other professional contacts is a great way to stay connected, but following through with your actions and words is crucial for maintaining and improving the relationships. Consistency helps increase confidence, trust and respect others have for you.
Are your communications genuine? Are you actually there to see how your connections are doing or are you just trying to make small talk? Right now, as you’re reaching out and checking in on others that are vulnerable and stressed, turn your words into actions. See what you can do to help. If there is someone that is struggling, think about sending them a small gift to help cheer them up. If they are struggling with a problem at work that you are familiar with, take the time to help and provide assistance.
People will remember how you act, both professionally and interpersonally. Working hard will prove that you are a good team member and can be relied upon. When communicating with others, watch your candor and avoid gossip. If you want to complain and gossip, take it outside of work to avoid damaging relationships by getting distracted by minor issues. Take responsibility for your actions and your mistakes and avoid placing blame on others.
A positive attitude can help attract others and make it easier to communicate with your colleagues. Everyone needs some degree of support, which is why relationships thrive through positivity, optimism and words of encouragement. If you see others struggling, remind them of their strengths and resilience. This will help them feel more confident in their abilities and make them a better team member, too.
Building relationships with your coworkers and other professionals right now is a great way to stay connected during a time when many feel so disconnected. Others will remember how you acted during this time so make sure to remain genuine when you are reaching out and responding to your network in order to help improve your professional relationships. Show your professional connections that you value them now.
To learn more about Guy Gentile and DayTraderPro visit https://daytraderpro.com.