We spend more time in our offices that at homes and the emotional attachment we have which we establish due to our workplace relationships is one of a kind.
It is said that man is a social animal. He cannot live alone and he has to form associations with living beings in order to sustain on planet earth. We all are bound by different relations the moment we open our eyes into this world. Through our lifespan we make many new relations and many get dissolved too. In 21st Century, the importance of workplace relationships cannot be emphasized enough. Sometimes, the beauty of workplace relationships spreads its enigma in a wider range and the workplace relationships turn into family relations like getting married to your colleague.
Protect Yourself
The workplace relationships have their own formal limitations and rules which set up the guidelines for maintaining a good atmosphere at the workplace. Companies have their rules to prevent sexual harassment and other employee exploitation issues by managing the workplace relationships through rules. Yet, at the same time it should be clearly understood that managing the workplace relationships is not just a mere duty of companies rather, the employees should manage their workplace relationships themselves so as to avoid any act of misconduct that can be an issue to a person’s or company’s repute.
Diplomatic Approach
First of all, try to opt for a diplomatic and optimistic approach when tackling with the workplace relationships. Accept the fact that when you are in the same living room with your family members for just a few hours, you might have arguments, moments of love and moments of irritation. The same applies for workplace relationships. A workplace with a group of people working together is like a formal family and the chances of same kind of emotions which are prevalent in families are likely to be seen at workplace relationships too. But you need to understand the thin difference between the formality and informality of your workplace relationships and other relations. Try to be more patient and don’t be reactive towards unpleasant stuff. People do have different approaches to different things at the workplace and that is what leads the company to success and at the same time, creates differences amongst the employees too.
Make Smart Moves
Act according to the moods and mindset of your immediate supervisor, manager or boss. This will be ideal for managing your workplace relationships. And don’t be a peace maker amongst two other employees if they have a fight because your chances of getting abused and ruining your workplace relationships gets higher in the end. Maintain a safe distance from people because the more you allow them to enter your life, the more chances of exploitation and other threatening situations due to workplace relationships arise for you.
Managing Romantic Relationships
Most importantly, if you like someone at the office and you want to ask him/her for a date then act intelligently and make smart moves. Of course there is no legal rule which limits workplace dating and such workplace relationships but you need to understand the ethics and decorum of the office premises. If you think that you and the person you are interested in are really a compatible match for each other then make it very clear that you need to keep the relations at workplace strictly professional and deal with your personal romantic relationship outside the office premises. No matter how broad minded people get in a workplace still romantic workplace relationships are not welcomed that much and the other colleagues think that you are getting off track from your original duties and workplace responsibilities. So make sure you don’t get yourself a stigma of such a type.
Indeed workplace relationships form an integral part of our professional lives and they impact us through many different ways. The best way to keep up with them is to be firm and distinctive in your character, dignity and limit yourself to certain boundaries so as to avoid any major issues regarding workplace relationships.