Three keys to working well with your colleagues and developing the confidence to create a space for yourself.

Having strong relationships with colleagues is very important.

Effectively teaming on projects to get things done quicker, and more efficiently can be a real boost to everyone's career, but requires personal and professional bonds built from respect.

If you're interested in learning how you can develop confidence with your work colleagues, review the following tips:

Understand each individual's strengths and bond with your colleagues

Learn the lay of the land. Who's good at what?

Understand how your particular skill-set fits in with the competencies of other team members.

Begin to understand each one personally-who is married, has kids, is cranky Monday mornings, is looking to be promoted?

Show interest and recognize others for their talents.

Make a special effort to bond with your colleagues-whether at lunches, or meetings.

Help others to understand your strengths

Demonstrate your ability to contribute to the team.

Make your strengths clear, so that others will be sure to utilize your expertise.

Be yourself.

Allow others to get to know who you are as a person.

Understand the big picture

Ensure your role is clear within your team.

Also recognize the common ground shared between you and your colleagues.

Understand that although each piece is critical, only together do your contributions enable the company to accomplish what it could not without any one of you.

All in all, creating a place for yourself amongst your colleagues will ensure you are viewed as an indispensable member of the team, respected and appreciated for your contributions!

The next steps?

Work through some of the communication articles on the site to get some tips and techniques of how to build rapport and get on better with your colleagues.

You spend a lot of time at work so this is an area where a little investment in your time can pay big dividends!