Developers usually spend most of their time with fellow colleagues than anyone else in their lives. Therefore, try as much as possible to create a decent relationship with all your colleagues. Getting along with all your colleagues can increase productivity, reduce the lead time by which products are delivered, and creates job satisfaction and overall happiness within the workplace. Building a healthy working relationship improves creativity within the team. Working in an environment where you’re free to showcase your personality provides the inspiration and support you need to generate innovative ideas. That, in return, can drive you to more efficient ways of doing things.
If you’re unsure of the perfect way to promote a healthy and strong relationship with your developer colleagues. Here are several approaches you can implement in your work environment.
Show Respect
You don’t have to be friends or close to all your developer colleagues. Still, to have a strong work relationship, you must demonstrate respect for each other. Showing respect for your coworkers is essential to getting along with them. In fact, this is usually expected, and it’s ordinary in an office working environment, even if it’s not software development. Employees work more comfortably around fellow colleagues who demonstrate respect for them. Also, showing respect minimises workplace stress, conflicts and problems, improves communication between colleagues and increases productivity, knowledge and understanding.
Action tip: Listen and pay attention to your colleagues’ verbal and nonverbal communication. It could be their personal issues or work issues. After all, we all feel good when someone is listening to us. Also, practice transparency, and recognise the strengths and accomplishments of others.
Be Approachable
Being approachable is the foundation of creating a strong and healthy work relationship with your colleagues and building a solid team that can grow ideas. Being approachable means breaking down all the barriers and creating an environment of trust. When you’re approachable, colleagues rarely sit on or cover up their issues and problems. They can open up to you before the issue escalates because they know how understanding you’re. Team members with managers who are approachable feel comfortable generating ideas in the workspace. Because they know that their manager is open to suggestions and will consider them reasonably.
Action tip: If you operate in a closed office, keep the door open at all times just to let your coworkers know you’re available. Also, having a friendly facial expression can show people that you can be approached anytime.
Build a relationship from the start
Getting along with your coworkers usually starts on the first day you start a new job. When you start in a unique position, usually, you focus on learning the aspects of the new role. But also remember that being friendly and meeting your colleagues is essential in creating a healthy work relationship. Starting a new position can be demanding, especially when the workspace has already established its work relationships. When a new developer joins a team, take time to welcome them into the work environment, show them around and let them get acquainted with the place.
Action tip: You can ask the new developer to join you on your work group’s happy hour or invite them out for lunch one day. This will allow you to get to know the new workmate. Also, while at this, ensure your new coworker’s work transition is smooth and enjoyable.
Know about each other
Learning about your developer colleagues is critical in generating a healthy and robust work relationship. Expressing interest in knowing your colleagues sends a signal to them that you’re open to creating a friendship and also assists you in making sense of whether you’re a compatible colleague. When interacting with the new developer colleague, ask them about their weekend plans, hobbies, or what they usually love doing during their free time. Knowing such things about your colleague helps you have a healthy discussion as you’re both on the same page on a particular topic.
Action tip: Find out about their hobbies or interests and discuss them. If you have the same interests in reading books or watching movies, you can provide suggestions, and you may end up knowing each other.
Maintain positivity when interacting with coworkers
Maintaining positivity in your conversations with your developer colleagues can improve your work relationships and amplify office morale. Much as it feels good at the moment to complain about your manager or another coworker, this usually discourages fellow colleagues from wanting to communicate with you. Positive interactions lead to knowledge sharing from the trained to the untrained workers in a collaborative setting. Encouraging positivity during interactions at work can foster employee satisfaction and retention and promote healthy working relationships.
Action tip: Avoid gossip, and overly negative conversations can negatively impact your office relationships and overall job satisfaction.
Conclusion
The more comfortable developer colleagues are around one another, the more confident they’ll feel rising opinions, brainstorming, and going along with new ideas, for example. This level of teamwork is essential as it embraces change and innovation. And when people see the successes of working together, group morale and productivity increase. Good work relationships also give you freedom. Instead of spending time and energy dealing with negative associations, you can align your attention on opportunities – from securing new business to focusing on personal development. Team members who get along with each usually collaborate better, allowing them to come together on a joint project and work towards its achievement by thinking and brainstorming.
