You spend more time at the office with colleagues than you spend with your partner or children at home. You may not have chosen for these people to become part of your life, but it is important to nurture these relationships.
Here are some reasons why:
Job satisfaction: Meaningful relationships are the cornerstones of happiness. Having meaningful relationships with people you work with makes you feel valued and appreciated as part of the team. Good relations with colleagues make the office a nicer place to be.
Support structure: If you are on good terms with your colleagues, you immediately have a support structure at your disposal. Life is unpredictable and it eases pressure to know that should illness or another circumstance keep you away from the office or a crisis or surprise deadline presents itself, you’ve got backup. You will be able to better handle pressure because you have others that you can rely on.
Shared experience: Your family might be very understanding and supportive of your work or career, but no one understands the pressures and special circumstances of your workplace better than your colleagues. Moral support shared between colleagues lightens the weight and promotes teamwork.
Networking and referrals: In time, you might want to move on to other organisations or find better opportunities for your career or working life. Your colleagues can be a valuable source of connections and information on opportunities available to you. And a good reference from a former co-worker never hurts anybody’s career.
Open channels: If you are open to relationships and friendships with colleagues, they can get to know you better and learn what makes you tick. Communication is far more effective between people who know and understand each other.
Be the colleague that you want to have.