Relationships: Work vs. Social - Term Paper Example

?Work relationships are very important in the day to day running of an organization and these consist of employer to employee relationship or the employee to employee relationship. However, regardless of the nature of the relationship, there are several factors which may determine whether this working relationship is good for the organization or whether it is detrimental. It is normally accepted that a good workforce is one which has had good working relationships put in place, because such a workforce is more productive. Good working relationships are built upon a culture of cooperation with the sole aim of ensuring that the organization for which they work is successful. Individuals at a workplace can not only have a good relationship at work but they can also have a social one as well but this relationship should have boundaries because it is never a good idea for coworkers to have too personal a relationship. Furthermore, before any effective working relationships can be established, it is best for coworkers to understand each other first because everybody has their own nature and character without whose understanding there would be problems. Lewis (2000) states that workplace relationships should be a mutual thing between the people involved in it so that coworkers are able to help and build each other in matters concerning their work. It is also important for coworkers to acknowledge the role which their relationship plays in contributing to their success at the workplace and a good example of this is when a manager or supervisor recognizes the successes of those workers under them because by showing workers that they are valued, they will increase their output in appreciation and will more likely than not assure their boss of their future commitment to him. It is best for the manager in such cases not to show any kind of favoritism towards some of his workers and not towards others because doing so would create situations which would be difficult to solve and would be detrimental to the morale of some workers, whose output would diminish due to this. Trust is a major component in the establishment of good working relationships not only between the various employees but also between employees and their boss. Wall (2008) claims that although it is a very difficult thing to establish especially in a workplace, trust is a necessary thing in the establishment of a good working environment and all of those involved in such an environment should do their best to strive to achieve it. The only way for one to gain the trust of their fellow workers is by getting to understand them. This can be done by one being attentive to his or her coworkers needs, listening to them without interruption after one has asked them a question, and finally finding out exactly what they need by simply asking them. This gives one’s coworkers the time to think and to feel accepted instead of feeling suffocated by them. Good working relationships should be mutually beneficial for all the parties involved and it should not be one sided. In order to achieve this, a lot of time and energy should be invested in the creation of this relationship and not only should it be established in the workplace, but it should also be done socially. Social interactions between coworkers help to build trust among them through their getting to know each other personally in a relaxed and informal environment which helps them get to voice their opinions without any reservations. Managers should encourage this by organizing team building activities both in the formal and the informal settings and this should encourage employees to work together in their attempts to achieve the goals of the organization for which they work. The mutual benefits of a working relationship cannot be achieved unless both parties in this relationship are able to openly express what they feel and what they need otherwise, one or the other might misinterpret the needs of the other and this may end up in chaos. Coworkers need to understand that every individual is different from the other and it is therefore very difficult to understand each other unless we express our feelings, thoughts and expectations. By expressing what they want, instead of waiting for what they want to be noticed by their colleagues, coworkers and managers are more likely than not to get it without any conflict taking place in the workplace. In order to make a workplace relationship more effective, it is imperative that all coworkers treat each other and themselves with the respect that they deserve. They should not form opinions or make decisions based on their prejudices and should listen to each other so that they can come to an understanding of each other, hence the development of mutual respect. According to Russell (2010), respect is the basis upon which good working relationships are formed and it is a necessary for all managers and coworkers to show respect. This is not only towards people in the workplace whose behavior they understand but also towards those people whose behavior they do not understand acknowledging that they are doing their best under the given circumstances at work. The boss or manager should not use his or her position to take advantage of those under them through asking for sexual favors and making their employees do things which they are not willing to do and are not work related. Such actions should not be acceptable in the workplace and are supposed to be discouraged because it leads to a conflict of interest. The other way of establishing a good working relationship between coworkers is through understanding each other’s cultural, social, and economic differences. Schaefer (2005), states that by understanding the backgrounds of one’s coworkers, it becomes much easier for a worker to work with others because he or she may find some similarities within those backgrounds, which might unite them. This is much better than coworkers having differences due to their backgrounds, who should instead take the time to face these differences and attempt to understand and accept them leading to a more peaceful working relationship. The best way to do this is through having more of social interactions between coworkers of different backgrounds because it is during these occasions that coworkers get a chance to sort out their differences in a more or less common ground. Good working relationships in many organizations are often considered to be very delicate because of the high levels of competition in the workplace between coworkers. This happens mainly because the actions of certain employees in an organization may work against the interests of their fellow employees. When such things occur, the good working relationships which had been built perhaps for many years are suddenly destroyed and it is never an easy thing to rebuild them. It is therefore imperative that coworkers have a social association apart from work which will help them understand each other and also understand what motivates each of them. By doing this, they will be able to retain their good working relationship despite their ambitions and sometime rivalry at the workplace. It will enable these coworkers not to take personally the decisions of their colleagues which might negatively affect them at work. In conclusion, a good working environment can only be established if all the workers at a workplace are cooperative with each other and have mutual respect for each other. They should also be able to realize that such a working environment is of mutual benefit for all of them because it enables them to work together for the good of their organization. Furthermore, it is very important for coworkers to trust each other because without trust, they cannot effectively work together. In this way, not only will there be a good working environment at the workplace, but there will also be much more output from the organization which will contribute to its success. References Lewis, G.J & Vogt, F. (2000). Carpentry. Andover, UK: Cengage Learning. Russell, J. (2010). Manage Your Boss: How to Build a Great Working Relationship. London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing. Schaefer, S.M. (2005). Building Great Working Relationships at Work and at Home. St. Paul, Minnesota: No Limits Publishing. Wall, B. (2008). Working Relationships: Emotional Intelligence to Enhancing Your Effectiveness with Others. Lanham, MD: Davies Black Publishing. Read More