The relationships we have with the people around us come with many professional payoffs.
Building relationships with your peers, employees, customers, suppliers, and management enhances the value you create for the business. However, in order to maximize the value of your relationships, you must be willing to work on them daily.
Relationships can be challenging to build. They can also be fragile.
To strengthen relationships, you must be willing to invest time, effort, and attention into maintaining all associations in your professional network. At the core of successful relationships is self-awareness about how you interact with others. People who lack self-awareness may come across as overly competitive, aloof, or impersonal.
Once you choose to see people’s differences as a gift rather than a source of conflict, you have the power to adapt your style so you can interact with others more effectively. Just because someone isn’t like you or has a different perspective, it doesn’t mean you can’t develop a productive working relationship. There is great power in accepting people for who they are and what they can offer. Theodore Roosevelt said,
“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.”
Consider the Most Rewarding Relationship That You Have Ever Had
This relationship was probably characterized by open communication, understanding, respect for each other’s skills and knowledge, and a deep level of trust. These fundamental elements are the foundation of solid relationships, top-notch performance, and real business results.
You must be able to find common ground and solve problems for the good of the organization. This requires the ability to listen to others’ interests, gain cooperation, and be fair to everyone involved. If you’ve had difficult experiences with people in the past, it can be challenging to establish or regain mutual trust and find common ground. One of the first steps in building a better relationship is to pay attention to yourself.
Assess How You Come Across in Difficult Situations
Do you take a firm stand without accommodating or listening to other points of view? Imagine future scenarios and mentally rehearse the interaction before engaging in the conversation. Think about how the other person might respond and the barriers to cooperation that could arise.
The key to influencing others is understanding their situation: Think about how they will see the issue and how your proposal will benefit them. When others think that you don’t respect them or their position, they may take a rigid stance. Trying to better understand their point of view, their true needs, and why they may or may not be compelled to agree with you is the only way you will move towards collaboration.
Becoming known in the organization as someone who is always willing to cooperate with and help others will pay off with greater business success. When you waste time dealing with unproductive conflict, turf wars, or difficult personalities, the whole organization suffers. At CMOE, we have helped dozens of leaders increase their effectiveness. Contact CMOE today to learn more about how we can help you build better relationships across the organization and maximize your success.
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