Creating better relationships as we transition to hybrid working

Let's be honest, communication and creating better relationships at work is more important than ever before as most of us start the transition to hybrid working.  It's vital that we feel comfortable to speak to each other on an equal partnership basis.  

Clear communication and trust is key:

  • Observe how other people work in order to build rapport
  • Show your 'human' side - be authentic, it's ok to show vulnerabilities
  • Establish common ground - people often find it difficult to communicate if they feel they have nothing in common with the other person, you will - you simply need to find it
Like any other relationship, you can't mould people into how you want them to be, so you have to figure out ways to work together.

One thing that's really come across loud and clear over the past 18 months is that we need to create a culture of listening and learning from each other.  After speaking with a number of people recently, it's clear there's both a mix of excitement and anxiousness around hybrid working.  

Let's get real for a moment, we're not going to get it right immediately.  There seems to be a frenzied rush for everything needing to be in place for early September or whenever our new working patterns come into effect (some of you have already made the transition) - that is absolutely NOT going to happen.  It's going to be a steep learning curve, trial and error, experimenting with different things and we need to accept we're in it for the long haul.  

Like I always say to my fitness clients - there's no quick fix, it all comes down to finding ways that work for you, or in this case, ways that work for both you and your colleagues.  It needs to be an equal partnership of listening, learning and moving forwards with consistent baby steps.

How to keep moving forward:
  • Learn from mistakes - don't create a 'blame culture'
  • Have a plan for your end goal but be prepared to be flexible along the way
  • Take responsibility and be accountable for when things go wrong to show that you are willing to learn and grow from these events
  • Share and collaborate - working as a team will move things forward more quickly
The one thing absolutely guaranteed to help you create better relationships is by keeping an open mind.  People never fail to surprise me and you can learn new things from absolutely everyone who crosses your path. You may never become the best of buddies in some cases, that's life, but keep your ears open, your mouth shut and be prepared to learn and grow as a person.

#2021


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