6 types of work relationships
When starting at a new company, or even making beneficial changes at an older business, building relationships is just as important as your other tasks. Realizing the benefits of different kinds of work relationships can help both you and your company succeed.
Here are some work relationships to look out for.
1. Acquaintances. Many work relationships don’t advance past acquaintances. This can result in poor communication, no cooperation and low productivity levels. Once you’ve been acquaintances with someone, it’s a good idea to work on good communication to build up the work relationship. This will help you later on when you need to network with others.
2. Mentors. A mentor relationship is when one colleague is more knowledgeable or experienced than the other and uses this knowledge to educate others. Mentor relationships can be beneficial to both your career and the company you work at, because they encourage you to work toward your goals, and they have the tools to tell you how to do it.
3. Advocates. While mentors coach you and teach you about your career, advocates work to inspire and motivate you. Advocates help others because they care about them as people, as opposed to helping for personal gain.
4. Trailblazers. Trailblazers are those colleagues at your company that set a great example for you to follow. They can motivate you to be a trailblazer for others, which will help your company overall.
5. Communicators. The communicator is always reading the latest news and makes sure to keep you up to date as well. With all the latest information at your fingertips, you’re sure to do your best work for your company.
6. Foes. Be wary of foes in your company. Negative relationships between co-workers can be damaging for the company, so it’s best to address the problem before it gets worse.
— Adapted from “Your Success At Work Depends On Peer Relationships,” Martin Zwilling, Forbes.
