Building professional relationships at work will help foster a culture of trust, respect, and open communication among colleagues. The better relationships we have with our co-workers, the happier and more productive we are going to be at work. Here are 4 tips to help you build professional relationships at work:

1. Be empathetic towards your co-workers

Being empathetic towards your co-workers is about being able show an ability to understand and share in the emotions and feelings of others. When you make the effort to understand others, they are likely to want to understand you too. Developing an empathic approach can help promote mindfulness in the workplace, help colleagues to accept diversity, and help colleagues to find ways of relating better with one another.

Also read: Why Empathy in the Workplace Matters More Than You Think.

2. Appreciate and celebrate your co-workers

It is easy to feel jealous and envious when others around you are achieving their goals and receiving recognition for them. However, an important part of building professional relationships at work is the ability to appreciate and celebrate your co-workers’ achievements. Instead of feeling jealous, you can show genuine interest in their achievements by congratulating them. You can also use this is as an opportunity to ask for advice on how to reach your own goals.

3. Find opportunities to collaborate with your co-workers

An important part of building professional relationships at work is being able to collaborate with co-workers on work projects and executing them effectively. You can volunteer to help a co-worker on a project, or seek out other opportunities for team projects that you can get involved in. Not only can this help build professional relationship, but it is also a great way to learn from your co-workers by giving and receiving valuable feedback.

4. Avoid gossiping about your co-workers

Whether someone else starts the conversation or you initial it, engaging in gossip about your co-workers is always a “no-no”. This is a sure way of killing relationships at works. If you have a problem with one of your co-workers, the best way to handle it is to speak to them directly to sort out any issues you may have. Remember, gossiping about your co-workers only causes mistrust and tension, so steer clear of it.

Also read: 5 Conversations Not to Have with Your Colleagues.

Building professional relationships at work helps to create a happy environment where colleagues collaborate with each other, accept each other, and help each other grow. Maintain this by playing your part in being empathetic towards your co-workers, finding opportunities to work on projects together, and celebrating each other’s achievements.