Are Close Relationships At Work Appropriate?

#18, July 29, 2008

"Closeness" is the third of the four essential coping skills for Staying Cool Under Pressure. Many people avoid forming close relationships because they see them as irrelevant or believe that they have a negative impact on performance.

In fact, the opposite is true. Research from the Gallup organization shows that 56% of employees who have a best friend at work are fully engaged, compared to only 29% of the workforce overall.

In The Wisdom of Teams by John Katzenbach and Douglas Smith, the authors describe a high performance team as "a group that meets all the conditions of real teams, and has members who are also deeply committed to one another's personal growth and success." In short, they care about each other. There is a wealth of other evidence available to support the assertion that close relationships are good for business.

So how can you develop closer relationships in your team?

  1. Make relationships a high priority. Use team meetings as a way to generate positive interaction and for team members to get to know each other better.
  2. Be open with your feelings and encourage team members to share their feelings and opinions openly as well.
  3. Partner with your team. Encourage team members to take joint ownership of continuously improving their own results.
Closeness will also increase your skills in communicating about difficult subjects. It's easier to talk openly to someone with whom you have a close relationship--it also helps to solve problems more quickly. If you are interested in measuring your own coping skills and their impact on the stress you experience, click here.

Keep reading our Weekly Leadership Tips for ways you can create a work environment where all team members are engaged, committed to your organization, and passionate about doing a great job every time.

Share these ideas with others. They may request their own free subscription by going to our contact form and clicking on Weekly Leadership Tips.

© 2007 Keith Ayers. All rights reserved.

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