Building Solid Work Relationships with Coworkers

"The single most important ingredient in the formula for success is knowing how to get along with people." Teddy Roosevelt

For anyone who has ever met someone for the first time and felt there was an instant connection, like they had known each other for years or had many of the same experiences, they were experiencing rapport.

Rapport is a feeling of being on the same wavelength as another person, the ability to appreciate one another's feelings, understanding someone else's viewpoint. As defined in the dictionary, rapport is a "harmonious or sympathetic relation especially one of mutual trust or emotional affinity."

While many people see the ability to develop rapport as the key to influencing others and tantamount to being a persuasive speaker or a phenomenal sales person, developing rapport in the workplace can open the way to creating a positive work environment where team work grows.

The ability to build solid work relationships through rapport with co-workers is all about the four Cs - commonalities, connectivity, communication and collaboration.

Commonalities. By finding and/or building on commonalities - those experiences, traits, ideas, interests, or values that they have in common -- co-workers develop a relationship grounded on understanding and alignment. Identifying commonalities comes from drawing people out with questions and sharing a bit of ourselves with others.

Connectivity. Once team members have identified commonalities, typically a connection or bond is developed. This connectivity can lead to greater empathy, stronger communication, and a furtherance of team rapport. By forming a connection team members are able to freely and openly exchange ideas, free from judgment, and work together toward common team and company goals.

Communication. Often people think of communication strictly as being written and verbal skills --- the ability to speak in clear, simple terms or create a sentence free of typos and grammatical errors. However, communication also involves active listening as well as good observation skills. Experts suggest that to develop rapport through communication, people must match another person's body language - posture, gestures, breathing -- and vocal qualities - pitch, tempo, rhythm.

Collaboration. This is the heart of good team work. Team members that have developed solid rapport are able to collaborate and work effectively within their team. Collaborating as a team means that team members...

--Only share a problem if they also offer solutions
--Never blame each other for their mistake
--Never ambush or surprise a co-worker
--Share credit and recognition for accomplishments and ideas
--Help others succeed

Building solid work relationships by developing rapport with co-workers is the cornerstone of teamwork. Seeking commonalities in order to make a connection starts with well-honed communication skills and ends in collaboration.