Safety Bulletin January, 2024

Building Better Relationships at Work

The workplace is complex, we’re often required to adjust the way we communicate and interact with people, which can be a challenging task. Therefore, it’s not surprising that we are sometimes misunderstood, or we inadvertently step on a few toes along the way.

So why are we caught off guard when we discover that we’ve offended someone or overstepped our boundaries? Probably because practising effective communication requires a lot of exactly that—practise. Consider the following advice when you want to improve your relationships at work or avoid unnecessary conflict:

• Keep in mind that we all have pressures that we are under.  Each of us is under stress for various reason which can impact how people respond or react.
• Think about the way you phrase a question or an answer before you communicate it. Ask yourself if it’s respectful, if the timing is right, or if what you want to share will add value to the conversation.
• Talking to someone face to face is almost always more effective than sending a text or email. Whether face-to-face or via video chat if working remotely, speaking to the person is most effective, especially if you’re confronted with a potentially challenging situation.
• Realize that most people don’t like to be told that they’re wrong. Find a way to make some positive as well as negative points, or to phrase your comments in a way that “saves face” for your colleague.
• Don’t feed a co-worker’s anger. Give yourself a day to think about it and step back from the problem to gain some objectivity.
• Demonstrate that you’re flexible. Communicate that you’ll be supportive no matter what decision is reached.

If a co-worker conflict continues:

If conflict persists after all avenues have been exhausted, particularly where harassment or discrimination is concerned, it may be necessary to involve your manager or HR.

If there’s no end in sight and you’re becoming over-anxious, reluctant to go to work—or even fearful for your job—contact a professional counsellor for additional support and advice on how to effectively deal with conflict.