Many people believe that building strong work relationships is all about finding common ground, especially shared values. But according to a Fast Company report, new research suggests this approach may not be enough for today’s workplaces. When we only connect with people who think like us, we miss out on the different perspectives that help teams do well.  

A study of over 1,000 mid-career professionals found that having similar values helps people connect at first, just after having the chance to work together. But the same research showed that sharing values does not decide if a relationship will last, which means there is more to successful teamwork than just having things in common.  

What really matters is understanding, not just sharing the same views. The research found that people with different values can still build strong, lasting relationships if they take time to explain and listen to each other. In one experiment, people who talked about their values for ten minutes felt just as willing to connect as those who already agreed.  

This suggests that the real challenge in building better work relationships is not our differences, but not communicating clearly. As the research puts it, “the key in relationships, it seems, is not value similarity per se, but understanding each other’s values.” So, instead of just looking for people like us, we should try to be curious about others.