Wellness at Work Segment: Relationship Building

Relationship Building in the Workplace

This blog is part of the Corporate Edit - blogs designed to give quick tips and advice to guide corporations in supporting their employees in the best way for everyone. After all, any good company knows that it is built on its people.

Alongside Patience’s career as a solo entrepreneur with Otentikcare, she has also got a career in tow where she has witnessed time and time again how workplace relationships have either empowered people or annihilated them. Her work as a lifestyle and mindset coach is geared towards creating a healthy balance in her clients lives. Recently, she worked with a client who was submerged by the anxiety she carried through her career, whom she was able to support through the use of Neuro Linguistic Programming as well as the Emotional Freedom Technique of tapping.

Remember, people spend a massive proportion of our time at work each year, so imagine the impact on their mental health when they feel unappreciated, undervalued or isolated.

This blog is focused on how to create a culture or environment that will benefit all through positive and healthy relationships.

This is all part of what wellness at work looks like.

What do we mean by relationship building in the workplace?

In a work environment you can sit anywhere on the social spectrum – from the life of the party to completely isolated. The ideal balance lies somewhere in the middle, where you feel supported and respected, and able to get on with your job with authority and autonomy. Promoting positive workplace relationships goes a long way towards helping achieve this balance, providing a sense of community and support.

Why is it so important?

Quite simply, when your employees are happy and feel valued, they are more loyal and productive. When a workplace recognises its employees as more than just a number – as rounded, whole individuals with their own unique personalities, strengths and weaknesses – they feel more connected to their managers and colleagues. Company churn drops and productivity increases. Salary alone cannot motivate; respect, trust and kindness can boost morale exponentially.

Furthermore, as humans we all have a desire to be seen and have our individuality and hard work recognised and praised. As social creatures, we also have an innate desire to seek the camaraderie of others in a similar situation to us to remind us that we are not alone. Connections of this type also help reduce burnout, as it has been proven that this is heavily linked to feelings of isolation and loneliness.

How employers can help

1. Be honest and communicate

No one likes to feel overlooked or misled. By keeping the lines of communication open from the top down, you are fostering an environment of transparency. This will help avoid unhelpful gossip being spread and minimise feelings of mistrust from your employees. And always follow through with commitments – if you say you’re going to do something, always do your best to come up with the goods.

2. Review your company values

Include relationship building within your company values and make sure you live these values. Encourage collaboration across teams and transparent communication across all levels. You could even introduce a mentorship scheme, enabling people to learn from one other and foster closer individual connections.

3. Look beyond the job title

No matter our role at work, we are all SO much more than that. We are all people with valid feelings and emotions, and full lives outside of work. Keep this in mind at all times and always treat everyone at every level with the utmost respect.

Last but not least…

4. Promote selfcare

An office full of exhausted, overworked employees will never foster positive relationships amongst themselves and there is likely to be negative talk and friction. Therefore, it’s vital to promote the importance of selfcare on an individual and at a team level.

Selfcare is even more important in the new world of remote working – it’s all too easy to feel isolated and overlooked when you’re alone at home with no one around you to bounce ideas off and chat with.

Put in place regular 1-2-1 and team meetings where issues can be raised and resolved. Offer an early finish on a Friday. If you’re in the office, put biscuits in the kitchen for everyone to share and to encourage more of those valuable water cooler moments. Encourage remote workers to come into the office, even if it’s only once every couple of months. Provide regular in-person events outside of work, giving people an opportunity to meet others outside of their immediate team. Invite in holistic therapists to provide wellness treatments.

The options are endless, and can all contribute to your staff’s feelings of wellness.

5.    Allow room for autonomy

If you feel trusted to complete your job with minimal intervention, this makes you feel respected and brings greater job satisfaction. No one likes to be micromanaged. As far as possible, trust in your employees to get the job done and they most likely will.

6.    Say thank you!

A simple thank you can go a long way in building a positive work environment. And it’s so simple! Drop someone an email if you see they’re doing well and I can guarantee you it will make their day.

Suggested Task

At your next team meeting, seat everyone in a circle where you can all see each other’s faces. Write out post its with everyone’s names at the top, then ask each person to draw a name - on that post it write one personal quality this person has and one professional quality this person has.

Once all post its have been filled, draw each name out one by one and read out loud what has been written about this person. This will boost your employees’ self-esteem and will show them that they are seen.

How we can help

I hope this article has been of some help to you and your team. Did you know that Otentikcare promotes holistic wellness in the workplace? You can work with Patience to develop a bespoke wellness programs plan for your company. If you want to support your employees’ wellness, email lateam@otentikcare.co.uk to start the conversation.

Author: Jacqui Smith

Jacqui has a background in Media Publishing and very much enjoys the beauty of the written word. A farmer’s daughter turned city-dweller, she recently left London for the small town charm of Hertfordshire and can often be found engrossed in her laptop in a local coffee shop! When not working she loves to travel, both within the UK and further afield.