Good Working Relationships

Good Working Relationships January 8, 2015

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We often hear that good working relationships are important. They can help us work more efficiently and effectively; they can make work more enjoyable. That is great in the abstract; it is difficult to be opposed to good working relationships. What about the nuts and bolts of working relationships?

Working relationships are a combination of the intentional and the unexpected. Some aspects of working relationships can be predicted, some require deep insight to see.

Strong working relationships are based in shared core values.

Like many connections, working relationships grow from the values we share. People with various strengths and personalities connect around shared values.

Each of you need to do the work of exploring and discovering your own values. It is also important to understand how you share values and how they fit together.

Good working relationships are mutually beneficial.

Each person in a working relationship benefits from how you work together. It is important that each partner can measure and appreciate what they receive.

Balance in what each of you receive from a relationship is important. Both people in a working relationship may come to resent it if one of you is taking advantage of the other.

It can be very helpful for you to discuss the balance of benefits between you directly. You will also want to assess the balance regularly to understand how it changes over time.

Good working relationships are built on trust.

Clear, direct communication helps build trust in a working relationship. Each of you needs to understand your own truth.

As you come to trust each other, you may be able to communicate without talking.

Healthy working relationships produce solid work.

Strong working relationship are as much about good work as about relating well.

How do your working relationships work?

What makes your working relationships healthy?

[Image by Aidan Jones]


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