2020 came as a shock to people and offices everywhere, and although there were some shining lights in 2021 (Britney’s finally free!), it was still a difficult and tumultuous year. With everyone stressed to the max, workplace relationships are more important now than ever before.
We’ve pulled our top content from the year on building healthy relationships in the workplace, so we can continue to communicate and collaborate effectively in the face of pandemics, climate change, and never-ending superhero movies.
Here are 14 of our top 2021 articles for the following categories:
- Understanding Different Workplace Personality Types
- Dealing With Negative Energy in the Workplace
- Building Healthy Relationships in the Workplace
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Podcast Episodes for Building Healthy Relationship at Work
Scroll through the articles below to learn how to build healthy relationships at work. We’ve also shared a list of our top Standard Office Procedures Podcast episodes on building and maintaining healthy office relationships.
Understanding Different Workplace Personality Types
1. How to Use Enneagrams to Better Understand Coworkers
The Enneagram is a personality assessment designed to help people better understand themselves and others. Learn how to work better together using the Enneagram personality assessment, including how to deal with different personalities and how to improve collaboration in the workplace.
Read the full article here: Work Better Together By Using Enneagrams to Understand Coworkers
2. How Managers and Leaders Can Utilize the Enneagram in Workplace Situations
As any manager knows, not all employees are alike. Using the Enneagram at work is an excellent way to get a better sense of your team’s individual personalities, enabling you to better guide direct reports and team members. This article shares the Dos and Don’ts for leaders who need to manage various personality types.
Read the full article: Utilizing the Enneagram in Workplace Situations: A Guide for Managers
3. Insight into Your Boss’ Enneagram Type
Bosses have personalities too! Understanding your boss’s Enneagram type yields powerful insights into their work habits, communication preferences, values, and idiosyncrasies. Learn how to best communicate with your boss or managers based on their Enneagram personality type. This article shares insight into what each type values in an employee or direct report and provides a list of critical actions that will absolutely infuriate your boss.
Read the full article: Navigating Different Work Personalities: Insight into Your Boss’ Enneagram Type
4. Introverts vs. Extroverts in the Workplace
Introverts typically find being alone the best way to recharge, while extroverts get their energy from spending time with other people. This article explores the fundamental differences between introverts and extroverts, how each type approaches work, how they perform at their best, and why each type plays an important role in the workplace.
Read the full article: Personalities in the Workplace - Introverts vs. Extroverts
Dealing With Negative Energy in the Workplace
5. Signs of Disrespect at Work and How to Build a Culture of Mutual Respect
Regardless of your position within a company or organization, people should be respectful towards you, and you should give respect back in return. This article discusses why respect is important for a healthy work environment, how to spot disrespect at work, what to do about it, and how to handle disrespect coming from a manager or boss.
Read the full article: Signs of Disrespect at Work and How to Build a Culture of Mutual Respect
6. Understanding the 5 Conflict Styles for Different Situations and Personalities
Conflict styles are the ways in which people choose to deal with conflict. There are five conflict management styles—avoiding, accommodating, competing, compromising, and collaborating. Learn how to best utilize the five conflict styles and how to reduce interpersonal conflict in the workplace with simple conflict resolution strategies.
Read the full article: Understanding the 5 Conflict Styles for Different Situations and Personalities
7. Discrimination at Work and the Signs You Need a Discrimination Attorney
Are you facing discrimination at work because of your race, sexual orientation, age, or gender identity? This article breaks down what to do about discrimination at work, including signs to look for, the differences between employment discrimination lawyers, and signs you need to hire a workplace discrimination attorney.
Read the full article: Discrimination at Work: Signs You Need a Workplace Discrimination Attorney
8. Sending Condolences to a Coworker: Dos and Don’ts for How to Support Them
Despite your best intentions, not all condolences are effective, and they can sometimes cause more harm than good. Asking the wrong questions or giving unwelcome advice can send your grieving coworkers spiraling. If you want to send condolences to a coworker, it must be done right. This article will break down work condolence Dos and Don’ts that will help you show your colleagues the support they need when they need it most.
Read the full article: Sending Condolences to a Coworker: Dos and Don’ts for How to Support Them
Building Healthy Relationships in the Workplace
9. Actionable Strategies for Better Communication in the Workplace
Clear and respectful communication is vital to the success of any workplace—and it doesn’t happen overnight. How can we become better communicators and foster better communication in our workplace? This article delves into seven strategies for building effective communication in the workplace. Regardless of your industry, these actionable strategies will help you become a better communicator.
Read the full article: 7 Actionable Strategies for Better Communication in the Workplace
10. How Realistic Optimism Can Replace Toxic Positivity in the Workplace
Toxic positivity is the ‘good vibes only’ mindset that encourages people to bury their negative emotions in favor of a bubbly, aggressively cheerful facade—and it has serious negative effects on a workplace. It causes team members to suppress their concerns, emotions, and needs.
Realistic optimism, on the other hand, is optimism with a plan. Realistic optimists also believe good things will happen, but only with steadfast hard work and dedication. This article shares why realistic optimism must replace toxic positivity in the workplace and how you can effectively make the switch.
Read the full article: How Realistic Optimism Can Replace Toxic Positivity in the Workplace
11. Transparent Communication in the Workplace
Keeping secrets and prizing privileged information sends a clear signal to your employees that you don’t trust them. Transparent communication inside and outside of the workplace helps businesses build trust and foster meaningful relationships, and it allows you to set the narrative of your brand instead of allowing others to decide it for you. This article shares the benefits of transparent communication and how you can build transparency into your company culture.
Read the full article: Transparent Communication in the Workplace
12. Active vs. Passive Listening and Other Effective Ways to Listen
The difference between active and passive listening is right there in the name—you’re either engaged with the person speaking to you or you’re not. This article breaks down the differences between active and passive listening, shares active listening activities to enhance your team’s listening skills, and defines other effective and intentional forms of listening.
Read the full article: Active vs. Passive Listening, Active Listening Activities, and Other Effective Ways to Listen
13. Impactful Leadership Activities for Team Building
Leadership activities encourage team members to work together as a cohesive team, and they help each employee develop and enhance their own leadership skills, making them well worth the investment. This article will discuss the importance of leadership in the workplace and how team building activities can enhance leadership skills across your team. Plus, it includes a list of impactful activities for leadership training.
Read the full article: Impactful Leadership Activities for Team Building
14. How to Improve Workplace Body Language
Poor body language, such as slouching or fidgeting, can undermine what we’re trying to communicate verbally. Ineffective nonverbal communication can make us appear nervous, angry, impatient, or tired—all of which makes those around us in the workplace feel uncomfortable. This article outlines the types of negative body language you should avoid and how you can improve your body language in the workplace.
Read the full article: How to Improve Workplace Body Language: Hands in Pockets, Gestures, Posture, and More
Podcast Episodes for Building Healthy Relationships at Work
We have a podcast too! If you haven’t already, tune in to the Standard Office Procedures Podcast, which covers a range of workplace topics, including career development, workplace culture, communication, and more.
The following episodes delve into building healthy relationships in the workplace.
- #4 - Personal Conversations in the Workplace
- #9 - Handling Impatience at Work
- #10 - Surviving a Toxic Workplace
- #12 - Transparent Communication in the Workplace
- #18 - Actionable Strategies for Better Communication at Work
- #23 - Work Better Together By Using Enneagrams to Understand Coworkers
- #25 How to Handle Intimidation at Work
Goodbye 2021, Hello 2022
Well, that’s another pandemic year down. While it was mildly(?) better than 2020, we’re very hopeful that 2022 can be better. Regardless of the frustration and fear that 2021 brought us, we are so, SO grateful for the loyalty and enthusiasm we receive from our amazing customers—and we’re over the moon to be a part of a workplace we love.
Well, that ties it, 2021! We don’t know about you, but we’re feeling 2022.
Follow our office blog and Standard Office Procedures Podcast for the latest trends, office strategies, product comparisons, and more. We have lots planned for 2022!
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