Meaningful Relationships in the Workplace

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You know, I’ve never understood those folks who constantly draw a line between work life and personal life. I am not referring to bringing a crappy day home with you and taking it out on your family…which by the way, happens quite often and is really NOT cool. What I AM referring to is your relationship to your co-workers and supers, and if you’re in a leadership position, the relationship with those you manage. It’s like some people can be so leery to create meaningful relationships because that’s not what you’re “supposed” to do at work.

I’m a lover. I just want to get that out there. I love so many things. I love my family, I love to work out, I love food. I just love. It’s very easy for me to make friends and refer to them as my best friend because I open up. This in turn gives permission for them to open up. I’ve had people say, “How can you have so many best friends?” Well…I love my friends. My life would not be the same without them. My world revolves around the relationships I create.  I create thriving relationships because it’s important to me.

Let’s take a look at Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Right after your physiological and security needs, is your need to belong in a group, then to feel validated while IN the group. It’s just human nature.  When you are with a group of people for 40 hours a week (granted we are talking about the “normal” work week), I would think it’s pretty darn important to treat those people with love and respect.  Who wants to be in anything other than a nurturing environment? It sucks!

When people love where they work and who they work for, amazing things can happen with and within an organization.  When I was an intern my senior year of college, I absolutely loved my boss. I still do to this day. We are great friends.  But my intern experience was so fulfilling because of the environment we created…the relationship we created.  I loved her. I wanted to work smart for her, almost to make her “proud.” Even when we disagreed on things, I never felt “disposable.” Think of all the people out there who DO feel disposable. Humans were not meant to feel that way.

I guess something we all need to ask ourselves…is your environment thriving or toxic? (We can apply this to SO many areas of our life.) We CREATE our experiences. Sure, others play a part in the scene, but they are only the supporting actors. You are the star. What are you creating? And what needs to change?