Business is made up of relationships. Consider all the bonds you have within your company: relationships with clients, with other companies, with co-workers–all of these ties create the web which connects us all in the business world. Without positive relationships, we cannot excel and we cannot move forward. Take proactive steps to build better relationships by doing the following:
- Intermittently scan your body language. Often, you may find that you are sending unintentional signals with the way you stand, your tone of voice and your eye contact (or lack thereof.) Try to do a quick check of your stance, your facial expression, and your tone of voice with every encounter you have in a day. You could find that small adjustments, like smiling more or uncrossing your arms, may make a big impact on how you are perceived around the office. If negative or even neutral perceptions are turned to positive ones, your relationships will.
- Accentuate the positive. Remember that paying genuine, thoughtful compliments to co-workers makes a big impact on your relationships. Noticing the work they do and helping them or otherwise acknowledging them is a selfless and genuine way to make an effort to improve your bonds. Everyone craves validation and a self-esteem boost, and being positive is infectious–your attitude can affect your co-workers
