I loved the comments on last week’s posts on being intentional about building work relationships and the Thought-full Thursday offering on catching someone doing something right. I was reminded by readers of all of the simple things a leader can do to build workplace relationships to make work better and also impact the bottom line. Many cost you little or nothing and require only small amounts of your time. Yet the value to you and your organization is immeasurable.

So often we think of team or relationship building in terms of formal activities. Yet the simplicity of the informal done consistently over time can have the same effect as the expensive off-site where you bring in a consultant to engage in team building (p.s. I’m not arguing against the latter since I get hired to facilitate such events; I’m just saying that the formal and the informal activities both have their place).

Consider some of these favorite no cost or low cost informal activities to help you build relationships:

Conversation: My friend Wally Bock wrote a brilliant post on Conversations and Success. I don’t need to define it when he’s done it so well. Conversation doesn’t just have to be about work. Ask your staff how their weekend was, or about their hobbies. Listen and offer a little about your personal life too. Put a few minutes on your calendar to “round” and have these conversations with your staff (or if they aren’t located nearby, call or Skype!).

Praise: People are hungry to know when they’ve done a good job. Tell them often in specifics what they did well and how it impacted you and your organization. Seriously, it’s hard to overdo this one, and you will be reinforcing the things your team is doing well. Take a tip from Jenn W who commented on last week’s Thought-full Thursday post and make a checklist to remind yourself to praise others daily.

Pizza: How about a monthly “in the barrel” pizza lunch session where anyone can come and ask whatever they’d like about work, about you, or about the company? Turnaround is fair play – you also get to ask whatever you’d like of them (and you should)!

Books: We could all read more. If we’re committed to a book discussion on a regular basis with our team, we will read. Pick a book on leadership or one that’s relevant to a problem you want to solve. Ask a team member to facilitate a discussion on it. Everyone will learn – about the book topic as well as each other.

Chocolate (preferably the dark kind): I kept a bowl of Dove dark chocolate pieces on the conference table in my office, fully visible from the doorway. It became a people magnet! I learned a lot about people who worked in different parts of the company who stopped by to get a piece of chocolate.

You don’t always need to have big, formal programs or off-sites to foster relationships. Its often the small things that are most effective. What’s worked for you?

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