Strictly professional work relationships?
Arturo Juárez, general coordinator of the Observatory of Psychosocial Risk Factors and Organizational Well-being, agrees that friendship between colleagues can be a social support to face challenges at work because there is already an evolution in labor relations and its link with ethics . From there derive connection actions, such as Christmas gift exchanges or the birthday celebration.
“A few years ago, it was believed that these relationships should be cold and strictly professional, but as human beings we have basic psychological needs. One of them is gregariousness, that is, belonging to a group and feeling accepted in it”, she comments.
Data from the recruitment firm PageGroup reveals that if a person feels comfortable in a work environment and under a flexible work model, their level of commitment and productivity increases by 44%. High performance and close teams are related to good communication and a common goal.
Juárez, however, recommends setting limits on romantic relationships at work, since they can interfere with performance and the climate in general, due to a conflict of interest in which at some point one of those involved prioritizes the partner over his or her own. job. The most recurrent problems are that if one leaves the company, so does the other person, or that there is discomfort in the team after a breakup. “The qualitative impact is greater,” he points out. Therefore, “better, good colleagues,” says Fernanda Páez, director of the recruitment firm Michael Page.
The most important factor for a work team to work in a happy environment is the leader, just as a bad boss is the main reason for resignation.
My leader, my coach
According to the study ‘Trends in the work environment in Mexico’, carried out by the consulting firm Kelly Services two years ago, 42% of employees did not consider their boss to be a good leader. While the analysis firm Gallup revealed that a 75% of employees quit a job due to poor leadership or the organizational climate.
“When there is a bad working relationship, it is easier to lose objectivity and that clouds the ability to make decisions and interact with people. A key element for collaboration is the openness to listen, dialogue and reach agreements”, mentions Páez. Currently, he says, staying in a company is more limited by the emotional.
The fact that you feel comfortable in the place where you operate and can express your ideas and relate healthily with others is crucial. In 2020, ResumeLab, an advisory platform for building better resumes, found from a survey of 1,000 Americans who once had a bullying leader that 48% of them only lasted a year or two; the rest stayed because of the close relationship with their peers.
“The current trend is towards the construction of significant and transcendent relationships through human connection. Forbidding people to connect from the human gets in the way of developing empathy, emotional intelligence, and humanistic leadership,” she concludes.