Workplace Reciprocity is Connected to Friendships
Do you have friends at work? Many would quickly suggest that they do. Is workplace reciprocity the real force behind your connections?
We start to develop the basics of reciprocity at a very young age.
You give me your best Pokemon card and I’ll give you one of mine.
You pony tail my hair and I’ll pony tail yours.
Let’s switch bikes. You ride mine and I’ll ride yours.
All grown up and navigating a career many people carry the concept of reciprocity along with them. Everything is done, or not, with the expectation of reciprocity.
Transparency is great buzz word. People throw around the idea of being transparent as many times as they hit the coffee station before noon.
Are your friends at work really transparent? Do you know what their motives are? Are they genuine or more self-serving?
Workplace Reciprocity
Much of our success can be attributed to our relationships.
Make friends with the boss and she’ll help you get ahead. Make more contacts, always be friendly and kind, then people will refer you.
Relationships matter but the real question is, “Are they authentic?”
It may all circle back to the concept of reciprocity. What do you have that I want? What leverage can I build from our relationship?
Funny the values or techniques we develop in childhood. Funnier still how adulthood finds us not too far away from the earliest concepts we learned.
Build relationships and make good friends. Keep in mind that business will always be business.
-DEG
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
