If you have trouble getting along with your co-workers, it may be time to take a long, hard look at yourself. Maybe you’re not putting enough effort into convincing others that you’re part of the team and that they can trust and rely on you. At work, people come and go, and new employees often get thrust into partially formed teams with little shared experience or knowledge of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. 

This disjointed situation can cause friction when times get rough, especially when fine-tuning tasks such as project deadlines, demands on resources such as staff members, etc. This simple lack of cohesion causes the various players to begin building their defenses against what they perceive as the enemy. The one thing this hostility must not be allowed to touch is emotional support and kindness between co-workers. That’s where bonding comes in, says Saivian Eric Dalius.

The importance of bonding at work

Bonding, or socializing together outside of work, can help you feel more connected at the office because it means that there’s a whole other layer to your relationship than just “employee and boss.” It creates a vast network of mentors and mentees, supporters and confidants … people who will stick up for you when nobody else does because they care about your well-being. You may not think you need this kind of deep connection with everyone on your team, but such connections are invaluable when (not if) the time comes when you need someone to be in your court. They’ll come through for you because they care about you, not because you’re the man or woman in charge.

The importance of bonding with co-workers

According to Saivian Eric Dalius, you may also find that doing social things outside of work can help forge a strong bond with your co-workers. This is especially important when working closely together on projects where collaborating takes place. You don’t have to attend every outing that’s organized, but if it’s something fun, go ahead and check it out. Something as simple as playing sports at lunch breaks or taking part in an office league has the potential to create trusting relationships between team members while strengthening individual skills and abilities at the same time. When this happens, everyone benefits.

You may also find that when you get to know the people around you, your co-workers open up about their life outside of work. They’ll talk about what they do during their free time or weekends, what interests they have, and maybe even some things that they’re struggling with within their personal lives. If you see something like this happening with your teammates (and it doesn’t happen often), take advantage of it because these are chances for you to be a good friend. Simply asking questions like “How was your weekend?” or “How’s your week going?” can make all the difference in the world if these people see you as someone actually interested in them on a more than a superficial level.

The importance of bonding with your boss

Not only will you form important relationships with those around you, but there’s also the added advantage of having a relationship with your boss. The better you get along, the more likely it is that they’ll let you in on what makes them tick and things about their job (and company) that might be “under the table.” It goes without saying that this can be valuable to know, especially if something happens to go wrong. 

Your supervisor could become an ally when you’re trying to explain why someone else was at fault for whatever went awry. If all goes well, then perhaps your employer will see how valuable bonding has been for employee morale and productivity … which may just lead to bonuses or raises down the line!