How to Repair a Damaged Professional Relationship

Workplaces are built on solid relationships that create productivity, teamwork, and job satisfaction. Even the best work relationships, though, can run into problems, disagreements, or setbacks. Minor tensions left unresolved may lead to full-blown sources of annoyance and resentments. With this in mind, learning how to rebuild and make workplace relationships stronger is key to a work environment free of hassle. Here's the way you can rebuild and strengthen your workplace relationships.

Five Steps to Repair Workplace Relationships

1. Act Promptly to Re-establish a Sense of ‘We’

One of the fastest methods of restoring a broken working relationship is to reshift the focus of discussions back to common goals. Rather than focusing on personal blame, redirect the dialogue towards how both individuals can progress together.

Actionable Tip: Start an open dialogue using statements such as, "How can we work this out together?" rather than "You did this" or "I feel this way because of you."

2. Avoid Rumination and Self-Immersion

Staying in the negative emotions will delay relationship recovery. Rather than replaying the argument over and over again in your head, take an active role in finding resolution.

Actionable Tip: Instead of dwelling on what's not working, concentrate on working solutions. In case of the need for one, step back before discussing in order to enable emotions to resolve.

3. Take a Step Back: Practice Self-Distancing

Perspective-taking is a very effective instrument in conflict resolution. Looking at the situation as an outside observer tends to de-emotionalize and encourages rational decision-making.

Actionable Tip: Take deep breaths, count to ten, or sleep on it before responding to an email or conversation that has the potential to heighten tensions.

4. Reframe the Conflict as a Shared Growth Opportunity

Rather than looking at workplace conflict as a strictly negative experience, change your outlook to consider the conflict as a way of learning and building the relationship.

Actionable Tip: When you talk about the problem, emphasize possible takeaways: "What can we take away from this to better work together in the future?"

5. Avoid Blame and Focus on Collective Solutions

Blaming others only widens the gap. Instead, present conflicts as collective problems requiring collective solutions.

Actionable Tip: Employ a cooperative tone in neutral language: "It looks like we miscommunicated. How can we collaborate so that this doesn't occur again?"

Building Resilient Workplace Relationships

Aside from conflict resolution, building resilience in relationships reduces the chances of recurring problems. Experts recommend three essential practices to render workplace relationships more resilient against tensions:

1. Rebalance the Emotional Tone

Disagreements naturally lead to emotional upset. To regain positivity, highlight common positive experiences and reaffirm your commitment to a fruitful relationship.

Actionable Tip: Sit down with your co-worker and take a moment to reminisce about successful experiences in the past. Recalling good memories can balance the emotions and help heal.

2. Create a Shared Story

A major reason for repeated workplace conflicts is varying perceptions of what occurred. Having a mutual understanding of what occurred prevents blame and miscommunication.

Actionable Tip: Engage in open conversation where both discuss their viewpoints and together form a shared perception of the problem.

3. Develop Relational Agility

Being able to adjust your conflict resolution approach based on situation is what maintains long-term relationships. Be receptive to improvisation and other possibilities.

Actionable Tip: If conflict arose from a past method of communication, switch to a different one. For instance, if email communication brings about confusion, use face-to-face communication instead.

Ways to Build Stronger Relationships in Your Workplace Proactively:

• Show appreciation frequently.

• Practice team-building.

• Be supportive to coworkers in times of need.

• Recognize common successes.

• Pursue open and honest communication.