If you want to be successful in your career, you will need to build relationships with the people at work -- peers, superiors, and subordinates. Strong relationships build strong networks. This week, we look at the different types of relationships you'll find in the office and key aspects to building them.
Unless you're the CEO, everyone has a boss, a manager, a leader. When it comes to career growth, this is probably the most important relationship to build and maintain. A good relationship with your boss will ensure that you get the assignments you need to develop.
The first step in building this relationship is to spend time understanding your leader. What is their preferred form of communication? What is their approach to leadership? What are their priorities and how does your work support them? Once you understand these factors, you will need to adjust your communication approach to match theirs. Knowing their priorities allows you to focus that communication on the right messaging. If your leader is customer focused, talk about the impact of your work on customer satisfaction. If your leader if driven by the financials, report your status in terms of dollars saved. Your goal is to have your manager view you as a partner; someone who supports them and their goals. Clear, frequent communication that addresses the things that they care most about will help them view you as someone who "gets it".
If your manager is the most important relationship, the next most important is with your peers. A great relationship with your peers will lead to more productive efforts on your projects.
When it comes to peers, the focus is on collaboration and cooperation. People respond favorably towards people that help them. If you focus on the competition side and take steps to undermine your peers, they will react in kind and make it more difficult for you to complete your projects.
In the event of a conflict between you and your peers, it's important to handle them calmly. Don't attack the person, but, instead, address the issue. If you are unable to separate the issue from the person, take a break and document your reasoning so that you can present it later. If you are still unable to come to a resolution, bring in someone else to act as a mediator. Handling conflict professionally will improve the relationship with your peers even when you disagree.
If you are a manager, yourself, a positive relationship with your subordinates builds a team that performs better and directly leads to your personal success.
When it comes to your team, your relationship relies on some key aspects. Be open and honest in your communication, this transparency will help you build the second aspect -- trust. But, trust is a
