Are your work relationships actually helping you succeed?

Reader,

We all know relationships matter in work. You've probably invested countless hours building them.

In this email, we're unpacking why work relationships matter—and offering a simple approach to help you build relationships that directly help you and your team work better together.

Why relationships matter at work.

If I know you, then I know how to work with you. It's as simple as that.

Yet, many people build relationships at work that don't support this goal. You can know someone personally and still not know how to work well with them.

Why? Because personal relationships usually don’t reveal the things that influence the way people work.

Not knowing someone in work leads to:

✅ More conflict ✅ Missed potential ✅ Less enjoyment in work

How most relationships are built.

Most relationships are formed around hobbies and interests, family and friends, and personal life updates.

Finding common ground builds rapport, and trust grows as you get to know each other. But here’s where things get tricky…

Surprised by conflict? Here's why.

When there is good rapport at work, conflict can feel unexpected and difficult to navigate. This often leads to:

• Pretending tension isn't there
• Avoiding conflict
• Hesitating when direct feedback is needed
• Overemphasizing personal conversations
• Feeling nervous before interactions

Symptom checker. Are you building personal or work relationships?

Ever caught yourself thinking:

• "I really don't know what Joe does."
• "Mark and I always come from different perspectives."
• "I just can't seem to get on the same page with Susan."
• "Chris seems upset, but I don't understand why."
• "I have a hard time trusting Wes."

These are signs that the way you know your team may not be equipping you to work well with them. That gap can hold everyone back.

Rapport isn't enough.

If you want work relationships that withstand conflict, elevate your work, and help you succeed as a team, you need more than rapport.

You need to know and be known at work.

To succeed as a team, you need to know:

• Their unique strengths and what they love doing
• What gives them energy and when they do their best work
• The type of collaboration they need to thrive
• Their unique lens: what they notice, focus on, and care about in their work

To prevent conflict and lost potential, you need to know:

• Their weaknesses and the work they struggle with
• What depletes them and how they handle pressure
• How much individual work time vs. collaboration they need
• What they don't notice, focus on, or care about in their work

Try a different kind of conversation.

At the start of your next project or initiative, consider having a different conversation.

Start by clarifying...

• ​What are we trying to accomplish?
• Why does it matter?
• Who is it for?
• What will it take to succeed? (Skills, experience, strengths, perspectives, unique lenses, timelines, etc.)

Build work relationships.

Use the “know and be known” approach above by inviting each person to share:

• Their unique lens, strengths, skills, and how they want to contribute.
• What they struggle with, what depletes them, how they handle pressure, and how they like to work.

Create the conditions you need to succeed.

With this foundation in place, now you are equipped to decide how you will work together to accomplish the work and succeed together. Now, it's time to design your:

• Roles and responsibilities: how each person will contribute their unique lens and strengths
• Team collaboration: how each person can be elevated by team members with different strengths and skills
• ​Rhythms: the ebbs and flows of the work throughout the project
• Project tracking: how you will communicate and track progress
• Solving problems: when and how you will address issues and problems as they emerge, so that your progress continues and team is strengthened

By knowing one another in this way, you are building work relationships that can go the distance and help you succeed together in new and exciting ways!

Give it a try!

Next time you’re working with your team, shift the conversation. You may be surprised by how much it changes the way you work and win—together.

Enjoy!

Sara

​http:www.potentialarena.com