In today’s hyper-connected world, the pace of work continues to accelerate. Emails, deadlines, metrics, and meetings flood our calendars, leaving little room for anything else.
In the midst of this busyness, one essential ingredient often gets sidelined: personal relationships.
We invest time perfecting presentations, streamlining systems, and advancing strategic goals – yet often, we delay or dismiss the very relationships that power long-term success.
The reality is this: no matter how efficient your tools or how brilliant your strategy, if your personal relationships are broken or neglected, your professional growth will hit a ceiling.
Why Personal Relationships Matter at Work
Personal relationships form the emotional infrastructure of any high-functioning workplace. They influence trust, collaboration, retention, and even innovation.
When individuals feel seen, valued, and connected – not just as colleagues but as human beings, they bring their best selves to work.
At every stage of leadership, strong personal relationships matter. Whether it’s with your family, peers, direct reports, supervisors, or clients, these relationships ground your leadership in authenticity and empathy.
The excuse of “not having enough time” is misleading. We make time for what we value. And just like you schedule performance reviews or strategic sessions, relationship-building deserves its own time block.
The Double-Edged Sword of Personal Ties at Work
According to Forbes, personal relationships in the workplace can be incredibly productive if navigated well. Trust grows when we know each other beyond the job title.
Empathy allows us to manage workload, understand struggles, and support our teams through personal or professional transitions. However, when boundaries blur too much, personal ties can complicate objective decision-making.
We’ve all seen scenarios like:
- Avoiding difficult conversations with a colleague who is also a close friend
- Failing to set clear expectations because of familiarity
- Assuming unspoken trust will compensate for poor communication
The key is balance: be connected, but remain clear. Be caring, but stay objective. Leadership demands that we hold space for both humanity and accountability.
Leadership Starts with People, Not Processes
Pandemics have deepened the gap in human connection. Remote work created convenience but also distanced us from one another. As we continue to redefine the modern workplace, reinvesting in personal relationships must be a leadership priority.
Bob Stein captures it well: “Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement, all success, all achievement in real life grows.”
Think about it: we spend more of our waking hours at work than with our families. Doesn’t that make it even more important to nurture the relationships that exist within that space?
Four Ways to Rebuild Personal Connection at Work
Inspired by insight from projekt202, here are four actionable ways to start prioritizing personal relationships:
Practice Genuine Check-Ins
Begin meetings with 5–10 minutes of human connection. Ask about celebrations or challenges. When someone feels emotionally overwhelmed, giving them space and empathy may be the most productive thing you do all day.
Build Mutual Trust Through Vulnerability
Leaders who show care and openness create psychological safety. You don’t earn trust by being invincible – you earn it by being real. Let people know you care, and they’ll meet you there.
Celebrate Shared Successes
Don’t rush to results. Build relationships along the journey. Share wins, acknowledge contributions, and celebrate progress. This cultivates a sense of ownership and unity.
Unlock Creativity Through Connection
When fear is replaced with trust, people become their most creative. Teams that feel safe and supported collaborate better and think more expansively. Relationships open the door to new ideas and lasting solutions.
A Call to Action
Whether you’re a new hire or in senior management, remember this: relationships are part of your job. They deserve attention, energy, and intention.
The path to professional growth is rarely paved by strategy alone. It’s shaped by the quality of your connections and your commitment to people. Build strong relationships at home, and you’ll mirror that in the workplace – with profound impact.
You don’t need to do it all at once. Start with a conversation. Schedule a check-in. Offer support. Give someone your full attention.
Because in leadership – and in life – it’s not just what you accomplish that matters. It’s who you bring with you on the journey.
Are you ready for TRANSFORMATION?
Dzigbordi Kwaku-Dosoo is a Ghanaian multi-disciplinary Business Leader, Entrepreneur, Consultant, Certified High-Performance Coach (CHPC™) and global Speaker. She is the Founder and CEO of The DCG Consulting Group. She is the trusted coach to top executives, managers, teams, and entrepreneurs helping them reach their highest level of performance through the integration of technical skills with human (soft)skills for personal development and professional growth, a recipe for success she has perfected over the years. Her coaching, seminars and training has helped many organizations and individuals to transform their image and impact, elevate their engagement and establish networks leading to improved and inspired teams, growth and productivity.
