The Importance of Maintaining Good Relationships in the Workplace
Good workplace relationships play a significant role in achieving job satisfaction, career success and career advancement. Good workplace relationships can help you establish your professional reputation within a company and also within the industry. Good workplace relationships allow you to broaden your network of both personal and professional friends and contacts. Good workplace relationships are essential to successful career management.Job enhancementMaintaining good workplace relationships does much to increase a person’s job performance, job satisfaction, chances for promotion, education opportunities and careersuccess. Many workplace relationships evolve into positive and supportive friendships that make the workday enjoyable, creating a pleasant working environment. Many workplace relationships extend beyond the workplace and become a part of a person’s private life as well.Potential linksConsider every good workplace relationship you maintain as a potentially beneficial link to managing your career. Every person you work with or cross paths with in the workplace, past, present and future, from supervisors and co-workers to friends of supervisors and co-workers, has the potential to play a role in your career, serving as a potential link both to your career success and to your career advancement.Network connectionsNetworking is one of the most effective career managementtoolsyou will ever have at your disposal, invaluable when job searching, seeking promotions, making career advances or considering a career change. Networking is a great way to meet and socialize with people both at work and outside, people with similar career interests and others with different career interests, all who may be of value to you in the future and throughout your professional life.In addition to networking with people at the workplace, also make an effort to socialize with them outside the workplace. Attend mutual professional organizations, alumni associations, job hunting support groups and other events, where you can continue to maintain your workplace relationships while also making new contacts through mutual friends and co-workers.Hidden job marketEstablishing good workplace relationships also gives you access to the hidden job market, those job opportunities that are not advertised or made public but are filled through word of mouth and personal referrals. Many jobs today, an estimated 75-85percent, are filled through the hidden job market. If you are considering a change of company or career or are seeking advancement in your present company, good workplace relationships can serve you well. Your relationships may have inside information and connections regarding job opportunities you would never have access to without their help.Workplace mentorsWorkplace relationships often include mentors, traditionally superiors in the company who take employees under their wing. A relationship with amentorcan be formal or informal. The role of the mentor is to teach, guide and support the mentee with the goal of enhancing his or her job skills and job performance, always encouraging the mentee to achieve his or her professional potential. Mentor relationships make invaluable workplace relationships. Many mentor relationships continue long after the mentee has left the company.Reference sourcesWorkplace relationships are an excellent source for getting references. A strong workplace relationship, whether it be with a supervisor, a mentor or a co-worker, can be a potential reference, someone you can count on to write a glowing letter of recommendation when you need one. A person who can vouch for your integrity and superior job skills can often make the difference in whether or not you get a promotion or job offer.
Never burn any bridges. Maintain good workplace relationships with everyone you work for or with, no matter how high or how low on the career ladder. If you transfer to a new department within your company or if you take a position at another company, always make an effort to maintain your established workplace relationships. You never know when those relationships may be of value to you.
