Five Tips for a Friendlier Workplace

Everyone has felt out of place at their job at some point. While you don’t have to become best friends with everyone in the company, a pleasant work environment can make your job go much more smoothly. As an added bonus, the ease of a peaceful workplace gives you more energy to devote to life outside your job.

Whether you’re the newest hire, or recent turnover has left you out of sync with your coworkers, here are five tips to improve your relationships at work.

1. Introduce yourself. In a formal workplace, it’s easy to wait around for “official” introductions and tours. While those definitely have their place, there will always be staff members you never formally meet. Don’t be afraid to approach them in the hallway, or parking lot and give a friendly hello!
    
2. Say “Thank you.” We rarely take the time to thank our co-workers for their help, especially if it’s part of their daily job. There’s nothing wrong with thanking them each time they help you out, even if it’s expected. They’ll be more likely to show you appreciation in return.
    
3. Volunteer around the office. Whether it’s brewing a new pot of coffee or changing the printer ink, there are a million little tasks that make a company run smoothly. Unfortunately, they are rarely part of anyone’s job description. If you take the initiative to volunteer to take care of these things, people will start to take notice and respect you for it.
    
4. Go exploring. Some people may work for years in larger organizations without ever setting foot in certain parts of the building. If you have extra time one day, take a stroll to a new hallway or floor to check in with another department. It won’t feel so daunting to ask a question of someone in Payroll if you’ve visited there in person before, and it might give you a new perspective on the organization as a whole.
    
5. Find common interests. Learn about what your co-workers like to do in their free time. Finding out about hobbies and interests of theirs can help you strike up conversations in the lunch room, or even find things to do outside of work. And who knows, you may even pick up a new interest yourself!

Starting with these tips will help you connect with your co-workers and have an easier, more enjoyable time on the job. What are some other ways that people can build better relationships at work? Share your thoughts in the comments!