Human beings from the time of evolution have depended and survived by co-existing with each other. We tend to use our intellect and cognitive capacities to consciously and voluntarily build relationships. Interpersonal relationships are a huge part of our daily lives because we would cease to exist had there been no communication between each other.

Not only building interpersonal relationships but also creating and sustaining quality relationships impact our satisfaction with life and its success. We form interpersonal relationships with people from all domains of our life- home, school, university, and the workplace. As adults we spend most of our time at workplace and work directly with a team or depend on a team who can complete our work so invariably forming quality interpersonal relationships at work contributes to our job satisfaction and makes our time at work more productive and engaging.

Some ways to develop and maintain interpersonal relationships at workplace includes:

Communicate everyday:

Creating and maintaining a pattern of communication with colleague can form interpersonal relationship which is reinforced by habits. Communication is essential to understand and form relationships because we can identify and share similarities in our experiences, thoughts, and ideas. A pattern of communication builds strength and rapport between colleagues.

Create experiences and memories together:

One of easiest ways to build relationships is to actively involve and engage in likeable activities together and share experiences. This helps with creating memories and building a social bond. Going for movies, concerts, taking recreational classes, going on road trips or adventures over the weekends can help build experiences. At work, raising a plant on desk, or feeding fishes in the aquarium, going for lunch together equally creates an holistic engagement between coworkers.

Active Listening:

Nobody wants to be around somebody who is always talking over others and refuses to take a moment to let other people present their point of view. Active listening is an essential soft skills which requires an individual to ask appropriate questions and listen patiently. This provides a accepting space for the speaker to speak and listener to exercise their compassion by listening to the speaker. Trust and rapport can be easily built through active listening.

Practice Empathy:

Empathy is the ability to relate and share the same feelings with the other person without undergoing the process of experiencing the same experience. When we practice empathy in our daily interactions, we provide a safe environment for the speaker to express their thoughts without holding any judgment. Empathy practice allows the listener to be present and offer a third person’s perspective without hassles. It can be a refreshing experience at workplace where people are focused highly on completion of their tasks which sometimes leads to missing out on building quality relationships with people whom we work with.

Making conscious efforts to keep in touch:

Sending check-in messages, expressing a positive quote, regularly engaging actively on social media and giving attention to colleagues can go long way for developing healthy relationships. It shows that one person is taking the initiative to form interpersonal relationships with their colleagues and this can go a long way in making the person more likable to others and they can enjoy quality relationships with the people one works with.

Interpersonal relationships are often hard and complex because human beings are a hard and complex species, but once these relationships are formed and both the parties involved put in efforts for the maintenance of them, it can be a beautiful and life-enriching experience! Remember, people might not remember what you did, or what you looked like, but they will always remember how you made them feel!