Interpersonal relationship refers to a strong association among individuals working together in the same organization. Employees working together ought to share a special bond for them to deliver their level best. It is essential for individuals to be honest with each other for a healthy interpersonal relationship and eventually positive ambience at the workplace.

Why interpersonal relationship in organisation ?

Why do employees need to be cordial to each other ?

Let us go through the importance of interpersonal relationship at workplace.

• An individual spends around eight to nine hours in his organization and it is practically not possible for him to work all alone. Human beings are not machines who can work at a stretch. We need people to talk to and share our feelings. Imagine yourself working in an organization with no friends around!!!!!!!!We are social animals and we need friends around. An individual working in isolation is more prone to stress and anxiety. They hardly enjoy their work and attend office just for the sake of it. Individuals working alone find their job monotonous. It is essential to have trustworthy fellow workers around with whom one can share all his secrets without the fear of them getting leaked. We must have friends at the workplace who can give us honest feedback.
• A single brain alone can’t take all decisions alone. We need people to discuss various issues, evaluate pros and cons and reach to solutions benefiting not only the employees but also the organization on the whole. Employees can brainstorm together and reach to better ideas and strategies. Strategies must be discussed on an open platform where every individual has the liberty to express his/her views. Employees must be called for meetings at least once in a week to promote open communication. Interaction on a regular basis is important for healthy relationship.
• Interpersonal relationship has a direct effect on the organization culture. Misunderstandings and confusions lead to negativity at the workplace. Conflicts lead you nowhere and in turn spoil the work environment.
• We need people around who can appreciate our hard work and motivate us from time to time. It is essential to have some trustworthy co workers at the workplace who not only appreciate us when we do some good work but also tell us our mistakes. A pat on the back goes a long way in extracting the best out of individuals. One needs to have people at the workplace who are more like mentors than mere colleagues.
• It always pays to have individuals around who really care for us. We need colleagues to fall back on at the times of crisis. If you do not talk to anyone at the workplace, no one would come to your help when you actually need them.
• An individual needs to get along with fellow workers to complete assignments within the stipulated time frame. An Individual working all alone is overburdened and never finishes tasks within deadlines. Support of fellow workers is important. You just can’t do everything on your own. Roles and responsibilities must be delegated as per specialization, educational qualification and interests of employees. An individual needs help of his fellow workers to complete assignments on time and for better results.

Do’s and Don’ts to Improve Interpersonal Relations at Workplace

Interpersonal relationship refers to a strong association among employees either working together in the same team or same organization.

Employees must get along well for a positive and healthy ambience at the workplace.

Let us go through some do’s & don’ts to improve interpersonal relationship at workplace.

• Do not treat office as your home. There is a certain way of behaving at the workplace. It is essential to be professional at work. Never misbehave with any of your colleagues. Legpulling, criticism, backbiting are a strict no no. It is better to avoid someone you don’t like rather than fighting or arguing with him/her. Your office colleagues can be your friends as well but one must know where to draw the line. Too much of friendship is harmful and spoils relationship among employees.
• An individual should not interfere in his colleague’s work. Superiors must formulate specific KRAs for all the employees and make sure job responsibilities do not overlap. Overlapping of job responsibility leads to employees interfering in each other’s tasks and eventually fighting over small issues. One should be concerned only with his work rather than trying to find out what the other employee is up to.
• Give space to your fellow workers. Giving space infact is essential in all relationships. Overhearing anyone else’s personal conversation is strictly unprofessional. An employee must not open envelopes, couriers or letters not meant for him. Such practices lead to severe displeasure among employees and eventually spoil relationships.
• Do not spread baseless rumours at workplace. Even if you know something about someone, learn to keep things to yourself. Discuss it with the individual concerned in private rather than publicizing the whole thing. Organization has nothing to do with anyone’s private matters.
• Pass on correct information to others. If your superior has asked you to share some information with any of your colleagues, make sure it is shared in its desired form. Data tampering and playing with information spoil relationships among colleagues and lead to confusions at the workplace.
• Do not share all your secrets with your co workers. You never know when they might misuse them. Even if you do, make sure you are doing it with someone you trust blindly.
• Leave your ego behind. Do not bring your personal tensions to work. Think before you speak. Making fun of colleagues is something which is not at all expected out of a professional.
• A team leader should not scold any of his team members in front of others. It might insult him/her. Call the individual concerned either to your cabin or conference room. Avoid comparisons among team members. The employees must be strictly judged according to their work and nothing else. Employees doing well should be suitably rewarded.
• Stay away from nasty politics at workplace. Do not try to harm anyone. It is absolutely okay to appreciate someone who has done something exceptionally well. Avoid being jealous. It will harm you in the long run. There should be healthy competition among the employees for a healthy environment at the workplace.