The purpose of this post is to offer you a critical workplace wellness tip that you can utilize to put your skills and expertise to good use.
First, as an employee, you are paid to produce results, but your contributions and success in the workplace depend on many factors. Some of them you can’t control. So, focus on those you can manage. More on that later…
Second, your sanity and peace of mind in the workplace depend, for the most part, on the insight I am about to share. “What is it?” you ask.
There you have it: “Always build positive connections on the job.”
Saying building good connections at work is critical to your well being and progress is an understatement. This tip might sound simple but ignoring it is a significant professional risk you can’t afford to take.
In fact, failing to build allies on the job is like forgetting to save money for a rainy day.
You would agree with me that employees are not islands. So they can’t stand alone. They rely on colleagues and good relationships to do their work. And you are no exception.
Sooner or later, you will need your co-workers’ collaboration to bring your ideas to life, find needed resources, and achieve your objectives. In other words, it’s almost impossible to make significant contributions to a job where you have no support system.
What neglecting this workplace wellness tip means
Failing to build key relationships at work is like neglecting to service your automobile and expect it to always be reliable. Similarly, when work gets hard, professionals cannot count on relationships they did not build.
For example, it’s common for folks who have no strategic allies on the job to face more resistance, stress, and competition than those who do. “But what’s the best way to build strategic connections?” you wonder.
Here are a few action steps you can take:
- Make a list of all key players that should meet and connect with
- Read about your colleagues and learn about their best work
- Go out of your way to meet co-workers face to face
- Make everyone the center of attention when talking to them (Ask questions related to their school, work, hobbies)
- Offer your colleagues the opportunity to talk about themselves and their favorite things
- Answer questions but keep your answers short and avoid bragging about your talent, skills, and accomplishment at your previous jobs
- Attend social gatherings to meet colleagues and learn who does what
- Meet folks from key departments (IT, HR, Logistics, Management)
- Ask colleagues to introduce to key players from other departments
- Simply put, get to know your teammates and key players from all departments before you need their help.
One more thing. Avoid hiding behind the cover of your emails or inbox because it’s the wrong way to build strong connections.
As Peter Block, the author of Flawless Consulting, said, “if you send a message by email and think that the message has reached and has been seen by the receiver simply because you sent it, you are wrong half the time. Email is great for the logistical side of life, but risky for the relationship side.”
Here’s my question for you: “How many colleagues do you need to build connections with in the next few months?”
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