You want to build a strong relationship with your colleagues. What's the first step?

Be genuine, and work to create a connection. Show the team that you're one of them; that you're there to help, you want to understand what they need from you, and if you're new to the organization, that you're open-minded about their way of doing things, rather than looking to tell them your way (and especially the way your old company did it). Keep in mind that trust and respect grow over time, so don't force it, but if you support your team, keep your word, and be accountable, that trust and respect will grow on both sides. In time, you'll all be empowering and supporting each other, and sharing in successes.

Before you hope to understand your audience…Be a person who leads with kindness and openness to invest in the growth of your team members! Now, start with natural conversations, which tend to lead to relationships. After a relationship is established, I tend to ask the same two open-ended questions to colleagues of all levels: -What’s your one year goal? -What’s your five-year goal? I also have to remind everyone that they do not have to select professional goals. I think we tend to forget, in the workplace, that it’s OK to support individuals who aren’t looking for growth professionally, but are looking to grow personally.

Take the time to do some homework. Study their resume, if you are able; study their Linked In page, Facebook, website, blog, etc. Be in their level. Allow openness, encourage confidence and a safe space.

People say you want to treat people the way you want to be treated - true, but I'll say the better idea is to treat them the way THEY WANT. We all have our own style and modus operanti. Just because you you like it this way does not mean this is the way they like it or this is the right way to go. Be humble, be genuine, and ask what people prefer - the best leaders are not who know everything but the ones who care and ask to make sure.

Know their interests and knowledge. Find out how to fit in. You do not have to be compatible on private interests, but complemantary to the team on professional level. Be genuine.

It’s also nice to double check when you communicate. Saying something and asking at the end “is that ok for you? Do you have any questions?”, for example, may give the opportunity for the other person to give you insights. Observe how people communicate to each other around you and try to mimic it while not sharing more then necessary. The best way to stay ahead is being able to adapt fast to your environment.

If you want to make progress, stay away from office-politics. Communicate on a medium level, stay away from difficult words or cloudy decisions. Base your decisions on facts and be focussed with the end-goal in mind. Stay polite and be open minded for a out-of-box view.

In my experience, empathy goes a long way. You never know what another person is dealing with. Build relationships on trust and respect, and that person will usually go the extra mile to do good work.

Building strong relationships with colleagues is crucial for a positive work environment. Here are some tips to be respectful and empathetic: -Active Listening: Give your full attention when colleagues speak. -Acknowledge Contributions: Publicly acknowledge their contributions. -Offer Support and Assistance: Show genuine concern and offer assistance. -Give Constructive Feedback: Focus on specific behaviors or actions. -Avoid Blame and Criticism: Address issues privately and constructively. -Respect Boundaries: Be mindful of personal space and boundaries. -Show Empathy: Understand and acknowledge colleagues' emotions, perspectives, and express empathy during challenges.

Give whatever you would like to receive. It is true most of the time. So build trust and respect by trusting and respecting your colleagues. I found this to be true in case of vast majority of my colleagues.

Respect and empathy start with active listening. Don’t just hear, actually listen. Make sure you follow the equation of listening more than you speak.

In my view there are 2 kinds of people at work. Work with empathy and without empathy. Both are needed. Always be supportive. Critizism is only a good option with clear facts on the table. But when critizism is given, be sure to hand the solution as well. Never play on the person, discuss the problem in a team meeting as a point which needs to be addressed. Create a safe environment for improvement.

Say hello. Smile. Ask them an interesting question. Simple, right? Mostly, treat them like any other person you want to know and eventually come to value.

A friendly attitude contributes to a positive work-relationship. Do not forget the 5 minute chit-chat before starting the job. It makes you approachable. Make a clear jobschedule. Stay proactive on the team effort, if your part is done, ask who needs assistance. Sometimes it is the little things which contributes largely to boost productivity.

Building trust, means being someone who’s worthy of trust. So, don’t tell your colleagues that you are trustworthy. Instead, show them! Do what you say. Follow through on your promises. Provide truthful feedback. Listen with empathy. Ask how you can help. Etc…

Reliability is key. If things get tough, do not forget the communication part. If delays or changes happen, be informative. Be sure to have a good reason when not meeting the deadline. To avoid unreliability you need to be proactive.

I've always found it beneficial to honestly and respectfully communicate boundaries with colleagues early on in relationship development; this helps to keep both you and your peers happy. By setting boundaries, you're not allowing others to create expectations of how you will or won't react, what you like or don't like, etc. Instead, you're being honest, genuine, and transparent about your needs and preferences, which can drastically reduce friction and clashing in a working environment.

Treat others the way THEY want to be treated- ask them how to best work with them. Learn about them as a person in/outside of work.

We do something called "speed collaborating" with our clients. We have colleagues from Department A share what Department B could help them with and vice versa. We do ten minute sessions and then the folks move on to a different department. It is one of our clients' most favorite exercises. The room is always buzzing!

Be genuinely interested in other human beings around you, without any agenda. Make effort to get to know them; what makes them tick; what are their interests, how do they like to work? Especially in a corporate environment when a lot of what we do is so transactional. Being genuinely interested, respectful and empathetic can go a long way in building relationships that last so much longer!

It is important to remember that one of the reasons you were hired for the job, was not just for your ability to do the work, but also how will you fit into the existing culture. A mistake that many people often make is to throw themselves into the work itself, instead of building genuine relationships. Getting to know your colleagues can also teach you about the organization itself, who does what, etc. Politics are pervasive. I have learned the hard way, that the fitting into the existing company culture is more important than doing the job incredibly well. At the end of the day, businesses are comprised of people, and getting along with people is half the battle.

In all things, show up as a human. Not everybody will want to have in-depth personal relationships, and that's ok. But you don't need to treat relationships as transactional. Don't be afraid to get to know people, what drives them, what they're interested in, what they're passionate about.