Organizations can — and should — help their employees make personal connections.
November 09, 2023
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Leaders often claim to value good working relationships, but company practices may not reflect that claim. The key to solving the problem is to recognize that it demands an organizational solution — specifically, putting into place a system that builds positive relationships. Leaders can get started by 1) making time to listen and check on the quality of workplace relationships; 2) providing a structure for growing relationships; and 3) incentivizing positive relationships.
Does this experience sound familiar? Dmitri, an experienced knowledge worker, finds it difficult to have productive conversations in his organization, especially with those who are in service roles designed to help him do his job (e.g., IT, HR, etc.). Emails and conversations are brusque, uncooperative, and at times downright rude.
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KR
Kevin Rockmann is a Professor of Management at the Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason University. His primary research goal is to understand how individuals create and sustain high-quality relationships at work. He is the lead author of the textbook Negotiation: Moving from Conflict to Agreement (Sage, 2021) and is the current Editor-in-Chief at Academy of Management Discoveries.
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CB
Dr. Caroline Anne Bartel is a Professor of Management in the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research focuses on sustaining employee engagement in the workplace, particularly in organizations and professions undergoing change.
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