By Patrick Cahillane – Life, Executive & Business Coach with One Source International Coaching and Training and Founder of the One Source Personal Development Network
Working from home can be challenging for many people, particularly when it comes to maintaining healthy work relationships. When you’re working remotely, you lose the face-to-face interaction that you’d normally have in an office setting. This can make it harder to build relationships with your colleagues, and it can be difficult to know how to improve those relationships when you’re not physically together. However, there are steps you can take to improve your work relationships while working from home.
- Make time for casual conversations
One of the best ways to improve your work relationships is to make time for casual conversations. When you’re working remotely, it can be easy to fall into the trap of only communicating with your colleagues when you have a specific work-related question or concern. However, it’s important to remember that your colleagues are people too, and they appreciate social interaction just as much as you do.
Take a few minutes each day to check in with your colleagues and ask how they’re doing. You could start a Slack channel or a group chat where you can chat about non-work related topics. This can help you build a rapport with your colleagues and make it easier to work together on projects in the future.
- Use video conferencing for meetings
When you’re working from home, it’s tempting to rely on email and instant messaging to communicate with your colleagues. However, this can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunications, particularly when you’re discussing complex topics.
Instead, try to use video conferencing software like Zoom or Google Meet for your meetings. This allows you to see your colleagues’ facial expressions and body language, which can help you better understand their perspectives and communicate more effectively.
- Collaborate on projects
One of the best ways to build relationships with your colleagues is to work together on projects. When you’re collaborating on a project, you have the opportunity to get to know your colleagues’ strengths and weaknesses, and you can learn to work together more effectively.
Try to seek out opportunities to collaborate with your colleagues, even if you’re working on different teams or projects. This can help you build trust and respect, and it can make it easier to work together in the future.
- Take breaks together
When you’re working from home, it’s important to take breaks throughout the day to rest and recharge. However, it can be hard to motivate yourself to take a break when you’re working alone.
Instead, try to coordinate your breaks with your colleagues. You could set up a daily coffee break over video conferencing or take a walk outside during your lunch break. This can help you build a sense of camaraderie with your colleagues and make it easier to stay motivated throughout the day.
- Celebrate milestones together
Finally, it’s important to celebrate milestones and achievements together as a team. When you’re working remotely, it can be easy to forget to celebrate your successes, but taking the time to acknowledge your accomplishments can help build morale and improve your work relationships.
Try to set up regular team meetings where you can discuss your progress and celebrate your successes. You could also send out a team-wide email or set up a Slack channel to share good news and milestones.
The most important thing to take away from this blog is that building strong work relationships while working from home requires effort and intentionality. By making time for casual conversations, using video conferencing for meetings, collaborating on projects, taking breaks together, and celebrating milestones together, you can improve your relationships with your colleagues and create a more positive and productive work environment.
If you would like to learn more about improving your relationships, health & fitness, personal growth or your finances, download our FREE 72-Page PDF Step-by-Step Guide – Personal Development – A Systematic Approach at www.onesourceworkbook.com