Introduce yourself and say hi
If you’re working at a larger office, or with people you haven’t met before, take the initiative to introduce yourself. Everyone feels a little uncomfortable at work with people they don’t know yet and introducing yourself will help you foster positive relationships.
If you already know everyone in your office, take the time to say hi to people as part of your morning routine. Take an interest in your team and ask about their lives outside of work, too.
The friendlier you are at work, the more likely you are to attract positive people and surrounding yourself with positive people will make you happier.
Recognize the accomplishments of others
Recognition is an incredibly powerful tool, particularly in the workplace. However, far too few workplaces celebrate and encourage regular employee recognition.
When you work hard and your hard work is praised, you feel good—usually for quite some time afterwards. You will likely continue to perform well afterwards. You can provide that same feeling and outcome for others.
Recognize the work of those around you whenever you see someone doing something that helps the team. You’ll quickly find yourself in a much happier workplace.
Take your lunch break with a co-worker
Sometimes it can be really easy to skip lunch in favour of getting a little more work done. Don’t let yourself fall into this habit.
Lunch provides you with a chance to take a short mental break from what you’re working on to come back refreshed for the second half of the day. Plus, lunch provides you with the opportunity to socialize with your co-workers and build stronger, more positive relationships.
So rather than taking lunch alone with just your smartphone and your emails, or sitting at your desk and working in isolation, grab a teammate and take lunch together. Whether you bring healthy pre-packed meals from home, or grab something good for you on the go, it doesn’t matter.
Hold walking meetings when possible
You may spend a lot of your day in meetings, which can be draining. When you can, try to hold walking meetings especially if you’re working with just one or two other people.
The combination of the fresh air and pumping blood will energize you and help you both make better decisions and build more meaningful relationships.
End meetings with a “thank you”
While we’re at it, be sure to end all of your meetings by thanking the attendees for working through the discussion and ending up with key takeaways.
Try to stay positive and upbeat throughout any meeting. The mood of the room can dramatically affect not just the efficacy of the meeting during, but also everyone’s mood afterward.
Being respectful of your co-workers’ time and feelings will affect how they approach you and make them more positive in their interactions with you.