How many of us can truly say that we love our jobs? Is it the work itself that has so many workers dissatisfied with the hours spent at work? Or is it the environment?
With over half of American workers expressing dissatisfaction with their work life, looking at how you can improve the atmosphere at work to boost the happiness quotient should be on the top of the list.
Research shows that workers are happier in their jobs when they have friendships with co-workers. If you think about it, you typically spend more time with the people at work than you do with your friends outside of work (and even your spouse, for that matter).These relationships are not just about having fun. It is about creating a common sense of purpose, the feeling that we are all in it together. Group loyalty results in a shared commitment and discipline towards the work being completed. Building work friendships helps to improve performance by having the accountability to one another. Motivating each other to strive to do your best, while knowing you have someone you can rely on, also improves the output for each member of your team.
The relationships start from the top. The leaders of an organization need to foster an atmosphere of collaboration, trust, personal relationships, fun and support. If the employees feel that personal relationships are encouraged within the organization, they are more willing to be “part of the team”. On a sports team, for example, you are not out there playing and competing for just yourself. You are playing for the collective group and you want everyone to win the Championship.
As the newest member of Team TMC, I was happy to join an organization that embraces the idea of community and teamwork. I am encouraged to build relationships and become a part of the team. Having the safety net of encouragement has helped me to be open to the vulnerability needed to develop new friendships. Because I want to be a strong member of the team, I have a desire to add my own personal value to the company. The friendships and the team atmosphere here at TMC have added a whole different perspective to what a job can be.
Here are some ways for you to make developing strong relationships in your work environment, even easier.
- Establish a strong culture of COMMUNITY with your workspace.
- Have strong training in place so new team members can get up to speed as quickly as possible.
- Hold the productivity bar HIGH: strong performers love to develop relationships with other strong performers.
- Meet weekly with your team to establish rapport.
- Participate in team building activities outside of the typical work day.
The environment that we spend so much time in definitely plays a role in how satisfied we are with our jobs. So are friendships in the workplace important? Absolutely!
