The world is celebrating Friendship Day on July 30th. A day to step back and appreciate the friendships that bring peace, happiness, and unity.
Therefore, in today’s blog, we want to share why virtual friendships matter, how to build healthy relationships with your colleagues, and how you can take advantage of cultural differences.
Why Virtual Friendships Matter
You might wonder how you could establish healthy relationships with peers from different countries and cultures. We’ll get there in a second, but it’s also important to understand why these friendships are crucial, especially in a remote work environment.
Working remotely might make you feel alone since you’re not in an office surrounded by people. Hence, it’s crucial to establish healthy relationships with your colleagues to have support, confidence, and motivation, as there will always be someone in the virtual world to lift your spirits on a bad day.
We spent a lot of time at work with our virtual colleagues, working together on a better future for all. And by knowing that, you want to build trust and respect among your peers. If you build strong relationships with your co-workers, you will enjoy many benefits in the workplace, such as:
- A healthy work environment,
- increased job satisfaction,
- decreased stress levels,
- more knowledge,
- and overall happiness.
How to Build Healthy Relationships
You might want to connect with your peers and share some day-to-day thoughts with them. But it’s not always easy to get the ball rolling. Some of us can easily open up and draw new crowds in, while for others, it takes some time to feel comfortable around other people. Therefore, you can do the following to build strong relationships:
There’s an old saying, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’ You shouldn’t rush the process. It might end up feeling forced. Take small steps by offering your help on certain tasks.
Small, unexpected acts of kindness can drive any relationship to a positive outcome. Always remember to be yourself, consistent and engaged. Whenever you feel more relaxed around your colleagues, ask them personal questions like “what’s your favorite movie” as an example. It’s best to listen to your peers when they speak and remember to stay in touch. In that way, you’ll soon earn new friendships that could last a lifetime.
Take Advantage of Cultural Differences
Our following advice walks hand in hand with one of our previous tips. “Ask your colleagues’ personal questions.” There is so much one can learn from different cultures that the conversations will never dry up. Be curious about other cultures and explore the unknown.
We suggest you take the time to research different cultures, favorite foods, accomplishments, and things your colleagues from other countries are proud of. You can find amazing information in videos, books, articles, and more. Cook their favorite dinner, send them pictures and compliment the taste if you enjoyed it.
Your colleagues will appreciate your efforts in learning about their culture so much that you’ll earn a lot of respect from them.
It’s also important to tell your peers more about your culture. Talk about your traditions, the music you love, and the cities you enjoy visiting in your country. It’s up to you as there is so much to discuss, but by knowing this, you can really take advantage of cultural differences to build healthy relationships with your colleagues.
Personal Growth Opportunities
Our culture influences how we see the world. But working with an international team with various viewpoints and professional experience can offer new perspectives that inspire you to see the world differently.
Expect to learn new ways to solve problems and be more creative- personally and professionally. What’s more, you’ll learn how to communicate effectively.
Working in a diverse company means that you’re exposed to new experiences. At first, it might take time to get used to, but once you’re settled in, you might find new hobbies and learn new skills. It’s a breath of fresh air with lots of benefits. And you’ll see growth within a few months!
Friendship Day is celebrated across the globe, and we hope we have given you some insights to build solid relationships with your virtual colleagues. We wish you nothing but the best! Click HERE if you’re interested in building an amazing career with Job Duck. We’re a diverse ever-growing company, and you might learn a lot about different cultures!
Warm regards,
The Job Duck Team
