Human beings are complicated by themselves, throw them into a big group and expecting them to get along all of the time is unrealistic. However, there are ways that we can work on and build relationships that help to create a more conducive work environment. Ken and Steve Blanchard (2012) discuss ways to help create the relationships needed to help a company work well. First we will discuss what goes wrong in creating relationships and then ways to fix them.

Common Mistakes (Blanchard, 2012)

1. Taking before giving- the best relationships are ones that have a mutual give and take. Help each other out. Often we make the mistake of doing something to help out and making it known it was because we expect something in return.
2. Being an opportunistic relationship builder- there are some who build relationships that are based upon status, they try to create relationships they focus on those who will get us to where we want to be in our company. Branch out, we are only as good as the rest of our team
3. Seeing relationship building as playing office politics- we do not want to seem as though we are "above it all". Sometimes people believe that all a company needs from them is their knowledge and skills. We want to build strong collaboration skills, there is more to success than having a good answer
4. Forgetting about results- some do the opposite of #3, they overuse their relationships because they believe those relationships will help make up for any lack of skill or knowledge. It is important to remember we need relationships and skills for a strong team
5. Limiting your relationship circle- there are times that people only build relationships within their own peer group or with those who are similar to them. It is important to be able to create relationships with others, such as in other departments or levels (ie grad team and operations).

Now that we know what the common mistakes are we can go about creating stronger ties to team members. In order to start building a good relationship with others we first need to look at the relationships we currently have. Once we have mapped out those relationships we need to ask ourselves three questions about each of our relationships (Blanchard, 2012).

1. Do you know what is important to them? (What are their priorities and goals?)
2. Do you know anything about them? (Are they parents or students? What is going on with their families? What do they like to do for fun? Do you really know them as a person?)
3. Is the relationship positive, neutral, or negative? If it is a negative one we need to ask what might happen if the relationship got worse? Would it cause strain on the organization or the group dynamic?

Strong relationships are important to a team. It is important to make an effort to build a relationship outside our peer group and if we have a negative relationship identify why. Using the three questions will also help us to create new relationships with others.

Blanchard, K., & Blanchard, S. (2012, April 23). The 5 biggest mistakes you. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/1834912/5-biggest-mistakes-youre-making-work-relationships