Ohio State nav bar

Skip to main content

The Ohio State University

  • Help
  • BuckeyeLink
  • Map
  • Find People
  • Webmail
  • Search Ohio State
  • Home
  • Food
  • Family and Relationships
  • Money
  • Mind and Body
  • Webinars
  • Authors

Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Topics:

The Ohio State University
You are here: Home / Family and Relationships / My Year of Relationship Building

June 16, 2015

My Year of Relationship Building

Today is my one year work anniversary with Ohio State University Extension! It has been a good and challenging year, from moving to a new town (and state for that matter), meeting new people, having new experiences, all while taking on my first professional job. It certainly has been an adventure. One of the biggest challenges has been being away from my family in the state of Washington approximately 2,240 miles away. This year I have realized that there are many different and important relationships that we may not be aware of that go beyond family. In my year of being in Ohio I have come to learn about creating and maintaining many types of relationships.

OFFICE RETREAT - 003_3

Often the most influential and overlooked relationships are those relationships from work. Work relationships or relationships with co-workers provide a large amount of support. People will often use the phrase my “work family” because when you are with people the majority of the day, they do become like your family. Comradery amongst co-workers creates an almost family like feel, especially in a small office. This relational support keeps people happy and more productive. Often having positive work relationships will also lead to becoming more engaged to your work. A Gallup poll  found that when people had a positive relationship in the workplace they were more engaged and satisfied with work. Having a sense of comradery in being part of a team, working together, and having that emotional support creates a positive office culture. Personally my co-workers have been a huge support for me in many ways, from introducing me to people, telling me the best places to go in town, to helping me navigate issues that come up in everyday life. They have definitely contributed to my positive work experience.

10676189_10205273629270632_2668449243916195490_n

Unlike work relationships, often tougher relationships to develop are those within the community, especially when new to the area. Adults with children may find it easier to develop these relationships with other parents due to kids being in school and other school related activities. However, for me as a single person, these connections within the community have been more difficult. When in a new town trying to establish relationships with others, a great place to start is to find people with similar interests. You can join a book club or running group, take a fitness class, become a member of a civic group, or join a religious institution. Getting out and meeting people with similar interests is the first start in making these connections.

Building any type of relationship can be tricky, but there are some easy and practical tips in building and maintaining relationships in and outside of the workplace.

  • Schedule time to make relationships- People are busy, but try to make time to listen and engage with others.
  • Identify your needs- Are you looking for emotional support? Someone to bounce ideas off of? A workout buddy?
  • Be positive- No one wants to be with someone who is negative all the time; positivity is contagious!
  • Have boundaries- Make sure you have boundaries in place that new work or personal relationships don’t negatively impact other areas of life.
  • Use active listening- Focus on listening more than talking and give your full attention. People respond better when they feel they are actually being listened to.

So to EVERYONE-family, friends, co-workers, running buddies, members of the community-THANK YOU! You do not know how much your help and support no matter how large or small has helped me this past year.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Categories: Family and Relationships
Tags: Co-workers, Relationship building, relationships, Workplace

Avatar for Katie Schlagheck
Avatar for Katie Schlagheck

About Katie Schlagheck

Katie Schlagheck, CFLE, is a Family and Consumer Science educator in both Ottawa and Sandusky counties. Being a Certified Family Life Educator her interests focus on the well-being of families and relationships through the range of FCS areas. She specifically is interested with risk and resilience of children and families, parenting, prevention science, and program evaluation. Born and raised in Washington State, she has been exploring all Ohio has to offer, as well as running 5K races in Northern Ohio.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent Posts

Loving Kindness chart from self to world

Cultivating Loving-Kindness

Exploring the Heart of It All webinar series presented in Autumn 2024

pages of open book shaped into a heart

Making Every Day Sweet

I will serve 2024MLK

Unite, Serve, and Transform on MLK Day to Create the Beloved Community

Follow Us!

  • Facebook

Footer

Need Assistance?

If you are having issues logging into the site, need assistance with updates, or need to request an alternate format please send an email to the EHE Service Desk at servicedesk@ehe.osu.edu stating the nature of your issue and we will assist you. Thank you.
Are you a Live Smart Ohio Author? Log in here!

Categories

  • Food
  • Family and Relationships
  • Money
  • Mind and Body
  • Webinars

Follow us!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
The Ohio State University
FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN ECOLOGY
COLLEGE OF FOOD, AGRICULTURAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

© 2025 Live Smart Ohio - Family and Consumer Sciences | The Ohio State University - College of Education and Human Ecology | Accessibility | Privacy Policy

%d