Building rapport with colleagues is essential to creating a positive and productive work environment.
However, rapport can also lead to inappropriate relationships or favoritism if not appropriately managed.
This guide provides an overview of building rapport, highlights key features, outlines steps for developing rapport, summarizes opportunities and challenges, identifies characteristics of workplace rapport, and provides examples.
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Background on Building Rapport
Rapport refers to a close connection or relationship between people based on mutual trust, harmony, and empathy.
In the workplace, rapport helps build trust, improve communication, and increase colleague cooperation.
When building rapport, it’s essential to focus on listening, being authentic, and finding common ground. Rapport should develop naturally over time through regular interactions.
Forced attempts usually fail.
Features of Building Rapport
There are several key features of healthy rapport in the workplace:
- Mutual understanding – Both parties try to understand each other’s perspective.
- Open communication – People feel comfortable expressing themselves honestly and directly.
- Positivity – Interactions are friendly, upbeat, constructive and not toxic.
- Respect – People value each other and treat each other with courtesy.
- Trust – Individuals believe in each other’s competence, integrity, and good intentions.
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5 Steps to Building Rapport in the Workplace
Follow these steps to build rapport naturally and appropriately with colleagues:
1. Be fully present
Give your full attention when interacting with someone. Make eye contact, put aside distractions, and focus on listening.
2. Find common ground
Look for shared experiences, interests, values, or goals using icebreakers around which you can bond.
3. Ask questions and listen
Draw out others by asking open-ended and probing questions. Listen closely to their responses.
4. Be authentic
Share a bit about your real self, your background, or your interests to help others relate to you.
5. Offer encouragement
Offer praise, validation, or support to help build trust and goodwill.
Summary of Opportunities and Challenges
There are both advantages and risks to building rapport at work:
Opportunities
- Increased cooperation and teamwork
- Improved communication and conflict resolution
- Greater job satisfaction and engagement
- Enhanced creativity and innovation
Challenges
- Potential for favoritism or bias
- Risk of inappropriate relationships
- Reduced objectivity around performance
- Overlooking problems to maintain rapport
10 Characteristics of Rapport in the Workplace
Signs that rapport has been established appropriately:
- Comfortable communication – Conversations feel natural and relaxed.
- Humor and levity – People joke, laugh, and have fun together.
- Body language cues – People make eye contact, face each other, and nod.
- Shared stories – People open up about life outside work.
- Informal language – First names and casual speech is used.
- Remembering details – People recall and reference past interactions.
- Quick resolution of conflict – Disagreements are addressed constructively.
- Willingness to help – People assist each other without expectation.
- Speaking highly of each other – Giving praise and positive remarks.
- Enjoying each other’s company – People spend time together voluntarily.
10 Examples of Building Rapport in Action
Here are some everyday examples of building rapport at work:
- Greeting someone by name and asking about their weekend plans
- Complimenting a co-worker’s presentation and offering to help next time
- Noticing someone’s skills and strengths and providing encouragement
- Sharing a funny meme or article you think a colleague would appreciate
- Opening up about your own challenges to reassure someone struggling
- Grabbing lunch or coffee together to chat informally
- Volunteering to help a co-worker with a project nearing a deadline
- Checking in after someone returns from vacation to catch up
- Congratulating colleagues on work anniversaries and promotions
- Reminiscing together about shared experiences on past projects
Rapport is built over time through authentic interactions that show colleagues you see, value, and care about them.
Small gestures go a long way.
Our corporate training material offers you ready-made training courses that are editable, user-friendly, practical, and flexible. We provide training guides, workbooks, PowerPoint slide-decks, activities, exercises, icebreakers, and more.
With 30+ years of experience, Catherine Fitzgerald, B.A., M.A., PGDip, founded Oak Innovation in 1995. Catherine received her Bachelor’s degree and Master’s from University College Cork. She holds qualifications in Professional Development And Training from University College Galway. She is completing a second Master’s from University College Cork. Since 1995, clients include Apple, Time Warner, and Harvard University.