At work, small teams can operate like families, where lots of individuals spend extended time together on a daily basis. At work we still have to navigate emotional responses to perceived criticisms or slights, or come back from hurtful events.
What happens if we put our heart and soul into a project only to have others in our work team dismiss it or undermine it? How does that affect our ability to relate? What happens if we are promised a promotion then a colleague receives it instead? How do we deal with the hurt of not being seen or recognised or valued? Does it affect our motivation and what can we do about that? Sometimes we can just change jobs, but sometimes we just can’t. Or we don’t want to. Sometimes we’re in a business or partnership that can’t be changed. How do we stay working together where conflict and unhealthy boundaries dominate?
Since Covid-19 we see new issues – for example a reluctance at times for colleagues to fully engage back in work relationships or issues that arise in relationships between colleagues who are working remotely.
Healthy relationships are essential to the functioning and performance of people at work, and for a long time, that has been ignored. We can all aim to be professional and put emotions to the side, but inevitably, as humans, we can’t always do that. Dysfunctional patterns that arise in families can also arise in work families.
Now we understand that for productive work we still require good relationships, empathy, understanding and support.
We have worked with work colleagues and business partners and a variety of work-related relationships. The bottom-line goal in these situations has often been to make sure that everyone in a work team feels valued and we help improve the way in which work can be more effectively and productively carried out.
Please contact us to check availability with one of our regarding workplace relationships. Some of our therapists have first careers in business, are really excellent in this area, and can help you.”
“We can all aim to be professional and put emotions to the side, but inevitably, as humans, we can’t always do that. Dysfunctional patterns that arise in families can also arise in work families.”
