Workplace relationships in NGOs

Posted on 15 February, 2022 at 11:20

Workplace relationships have a direct impact on an employee's ability to perform and their ambition to succeed. The nonexistence of workplace relationships can lead to feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Workplace relationships are not limited to friendships, but also include superior-subordinate relations. Workplace relationships exist to create an environment of individual and team development systems.  An organisation that encourages a culture of individualism, hardly makes it, as each person drives to accomplish their own goal, whilst they should be pursuing only one goal.

At the beginning of this year, 2022, I was fortunate enough to attend a Financial Management Training for 4-H Zimbabwe. Amongst other things, there is one aspect that caught my attention and l felt inspired. one could never tell that amongst the participants, there was a superior looking forward to learning together with his subordinates. Mr. John Muchenje and his subordinates engaged in a more reluctant and friendly manner that I observed created an atmosphere of freedom of expression of ideas and concerns. In various organisations it is a norm that employees hardly spend more than 30minutes in the same room with their superior, the room suddenly gets too hot or too cold with their presence.

Organisations with individuals that have friends at work are more likely to be engaged in their jobs. People who simply have a good friend in the workplace are more likely to be happy. Good work relationships are highly associated with external stakeholder engagement and achievement. Nonprofit organisations should promote a culture of creating relationships that are socially and professionally beneficial to an employee’s wellbeing and response to their work. It is important to nature the well-being of the employees in nonprofit organisations, as they work closely with disadvantaged groups that need more love and attention in delivering what most organisations offer. A better environment and future.

Human beings are naturally social creatures. Considering that we spend one-third of our lives at work, it is clear that good relationships with colleagues will make our jobs more enjoyable.

The more comfortable co-workers are around one other, the more confident they will feel voicing opinions, brainstorming, going along with new ideas, and managing change. This level of teamwork is essential to embrace change, create, and innovate. When people see the successes of working together in this manner, group morale and productivity soars.

Good work relationships allow you freedom. Instead of spending time and energy dealing with negative relationships at work, focus on growing your opportunities for organizational and personal development instead. Constructive professional relationships circles help you develop your network and career, opening up openings that may pass by when surrounded by toxic relationships.

Defining a Good Relationship

A good work relationship necessitates trust, respect, self-awareness, inclusion, and open communication.

Trust: When there is, trust between team members, ideas and opinions are shared and done openly and freely, without fear to watch one’s back.

Respect: Teams working together with mutual respect value one another's input, and find solutions based on collective insight, wisdom, and creativity other than on individualism.

• Self-awareness: Ability to take careful consideration to what we say, to our actions, and disallow any of our negativity affecting a fellow colleague.
•  Inclusion: Even from diverse cultures, different opinions should be more welcomed not just accepted. For instance, when your colleagues offer different opinions from yours, factor their insights and perspective and perhaps include a diverse but acceptable culture nto your decision-making process.
• Open communication: Organisations operating in the new normal depend highly on connections to achieve their desired goals, hence communication, especially online should be as effective as possible because all good relationships depend on open, honest communication. Whether you're sending emails or IMs or meeting face-to-face or on video calls, the more effectively you communicate with those around you, the better you'll connect.

How to Build Good Work Relationships

Building close connections usually take, but it is a crucial process to go through to build a productive team.

Identify Your Relationship Needs
What's instrumental in building these relationships is understanding your own needs as an individual employee or organisational leader and also the needs of those you work with. This can be achieved through;

1. Development of Your People Skills
   Good relationships start with good people skills. There is a need to assess how well you collaborate, communicate, and deal with conflict as an individual. The assessment will assist you to develop measures to address the weaknesses.
2. Focus on Your EI
   Emotional intelligence  (EI) is your ability to recognize your own emotions, and better understand what they mean. By developing your EI, you become more adept at identifying and handling the emotions and needs of others.
3. Practice Mindful Listening
   People respond better to those who truly listen to what they have to say. By practicing mindful listening, an individual begins to talk less and understand more. Good listeners automatically become trustworthy as they take more time understanding what is communicated with them rather than getting to respond.
4. Schedule Time to Build Relationships
   If possible, you could ask a colleague out for a quick cup of coffee. You may also give a "one-minute kindness" like and comment on a colleague’s LinkedIn post you enjoyed reading to engage with them. These little interactions take time but lay the groundwork for strong relationships. In addition, take time out in a different environment to the usual workplace, there might be a different vibe, or scenario that might trigger the real personality of your fellow colleague.
5. Manage Your Boundaries
   it is important to set boundaries and manage the time we devote to social interactions at work. Enough time should be created to socialize and during that time, conversations that trigger productivity may come up. It is important to know when, where, and how to bond because sometimes, a working relationship can impair productivity, especially when a friend or colleague begins to monopolize your time.
6.  Appreciate others
   everyone, from management to interns, wants to feel that their work is genuinely appreciated. So, genuine compliments to the people around you when they do something well, motivate them to perform even better. Praise and recognition will open the door to great work relationships if done well. Praise and recognition should count when done publicly, especially if the success was also publicly recognized.
7. Be Positive
   Focus on being positive. Positivity is contagious and people gravitate to those that make them feel good.
8. Avoid Gossiping
   Office politics, corridor talk, and gossip can ruin workplace relationships. It is wise to confront a fellow worker with the issue you have with them so that it can be swiftly dealt with without picking on one another through backstabbings. Gossiping with other colleagues will only exacerbate the situation, accelerating mistrust and animosity.

Handling Difficult Work Relationships

Sometimes, you will have to work with someone you don't get on with. With the rise of virtual workspaces, many colleagues are benefiting from some time apart, but even communicating virtually can cause misunderstandings or tension. While it is natural to avoid people who cause friction, it is not always feasible or for the good of your team. Therefore, to maintain a professional and healthy work relationship,

Reflect on your positive history. If a good relationship has taken a turn for the worse after an incident, research shows that reflecting on positive experiences with a co-worker can strengthen a broken bond. Another option is to use an impartial mediator to bridge the divide and find a quick resolution.

Look to yourself. When we feel negative about someone, we can become impatient, get angry, and demotivate others, and those negative behaviors are directed back at us. Find mutually beneficial goals. Some difficult relationships might be due to a power imbalance.

Good Work Relationships FAQs

Why are relationships at work important?

Good working relationships will make your job more enjoyable. What's more, close-knit teams are more productive, which frees up time to innovate and focus on your personal development. The professional connections you make will also help you to further your career.

What are the three main working relationships?

You should build good relationships with all your co-workers. The main focus should be on management or superiors so that as an employee you to stay engaged with your job, the team members you work with day-to-day, and any stakeholders impacted by your work.

What is a professional relationship at work?

A professional work relationship is built on trust. Team members should also respect one another, and be inclusive in considering different opinions. Self-awareness and open communication are key to making this work.

By Nobukhosi Ndlovu
Marketing Coordinator
KFM Consultants