Six Surefire Ways to Build Rapport with Your Colleagues

I once knew someone who drew a really thick line between personal and professional. She didn’t divulge much about her private life and was apprehensive about making friends in the office. Work was just work and that was the end of that. To a certain degree, I get that. But, there are so many benefits to building rapport with your colleagues. Not only can they help make your workdays livelier, but it’s a precursor to strong teamwork which can lead to greater productivity. There are so many things that I’ve accomplished as a result of having great relationships at work.

Here are six surefire ways of building rapport with your colleagues:

1. Listen and Empathize

I put these two together because you can’t really empathize if you don’t listen. Listening is one of the core communication skills that everyone should have. Recognize your coworker’s emotions and try to see things from their point of view. While they may not always explicitly verbalize what they are thinking or feeling, simply listening to the tone of their voice or the way that they discuss certain matters should tell you enough of what you need to know in order to respond to them appropriately and intelligently.

2. Be intentional about building a relationship

This next tip comes easy if you can do step one. Be intentional in the way that you approach your colleagues so that you can build trust. Pay attention to what makes them tick — make a note of their likes and dislikes. For example, one of my former coworkers really values punctuality. One of the ways that I built a relationship with her and earned her trust was by showing up early and encouraging the rest of our team to do the same.

This kind of simple gesture communicates respect — an important factor in building rapport. Building rapport is so much more than just getting people to like you. It is about earning each other’s trust and respect.

3. Create shared experiences

There was this one time that my coworker and I just consistently used the word “unagi” the way Ross Gellar did in the show, Friends. It added a bit of humor to our high-pressure project and now, we recall that period of time fondly.

There is value in creating experiences with your colleagues. These experiences may be work-related, they may be TV-related, they may be pet-related. The point is that these experiences allow you to get to know one another and relate to each other on a deeper level.

Furthermore, these interactions can tell you so much about their communication style and personality. The connection that you establish with your colleagues can then make it easier to communicate and collaborate with them in the future.

4. Lift each other up

While workplace competition does exist, more often than not, people want to see you succeed. This is especially true if their work depends on how well you do yours and vice versa. After all, there are many symbiotic relationships between departments in an organization. So, do your part and acknowledge the accomplishments and effort of your colleagues and give credit when it’s due. Not only does this reinforce teamwork, but it creates a sense of trust. It removes the toxic barriers of unhealthy competition and insecurities when you recognize the strengths of people instead of magnifying their faults.

5. Ask not what they can do for you

When building a relationship, sometimes the focus is on what the other person can do for you. Move past that mentality and think of what you bring to the table for that other person. Take the initiative or extend a lending hand when possible. This shows your colleagues that you are responsible and reliable.

And who knows, they may just return the favor tenfold when you need it.

6. Show your competency

No — this doesn’t mean show off. Showing that you’re competent means that you demonstrate that you can do your job. Come to meetings prepared and on time. Anticipate the needs of your team or colleagues, as well as your clients. Ask meaningful questions. Share relevant information and expertise.

Remember, you are not only representing yourself, but the company or organization that you work for and all the people behind it.

What better way to build rapport than by making them all look good?