BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
WHY IT MATTERS
No matter how many other forces work together to shape the world of work, the truth remains that work happens through and because of strong relationships. Relationships with people who can help you succeed are the fuel to growth and progress, both inside and outside the organization. Leaders that form strong relationships have the foundation they need to move the work farther along than they ever could have by themselves. Their people relationships give them opportunities they couldn’t find in any other way. Leaders that can’t build relationships with other people may find themselves lacking the support, partnerships, resources, or backing they need to do anything more than steadily meet the status quo.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that build strong relationships see people as people, not as a means to an end, or as a tool to fulfill their personal agenda. They acknowledge people. They recognize everyone has concerns, hopes, needs, and wants. They care about other’s well-being. They form strong relationships not because of some tactic they have mastered, but because they are sincere. They can build and gain trust quickly. They make people feel like they are important and matter when they are around them. They are the type of person others want to know.
Leaders that build strong relationships instigate those relationships. They do not wait for others to approach them or for relationships to magically form. They make conversation quickly and easily. They put other people at ease. They make themselves approachable. They are comfortable letting people into their lives and entering into theirs.
Leaders that build strong relationships treat people with kindness and concern. They are aware of people’s needs. They show respect to all people regardless of who they are or where they are from. They work with people from all backgrounds. They are quick to overlook differences in favor of common ground. They recognize people will always be more alike than they will be different.
Leaders that build strong relationships take time to get to know people beyond the surface level. They discover other people’s interests. They listen to people and learn what makes them tick. They look for and value who people really are, not just who they appear to be.
Leaders that build strong relationships want other people to succeed as much as they want their own success. They are interested in true partnerships and win-win scenarios. They work with others to meet shared goals instead of only looking out for themselves. They are team-focused individuals instead of self-centered individuals.
Leaders that build relationships are likeable. They are the person everyone wants on their project. People know they will be easy and uplifting to work with instead of being stressed, perturbed, defensive, overbearing, or negative. They are quick to laugh, find it easy to smile, and find a way to make hard work fun.
Leaders that build strong relationships are people builders. They are slow to criticize and quick to say thank you. They give commendation and reward people for a job well done. They help people want to be the best version of themselves when they are together.
BELIEFS
BEST PRACTICES
SELF-REFLECTION
WORDS OF CAUTION
PSYCHOMETRIC 360 QUESTIONS
No matter how many other forces work together to shape the world of work, the truth remains that work happens through and because of strong relationships. Relationships with people who can help you succeed are the fuel to growth and progress, both inside and outside the organization. Leaders that form strong relationships have the foundation they need to move the work farther along than they ever could have by themselves. Their people relationships give them opportunities they couldn’t find in any other way. Leaders that can’t build relationships with other people may find themselves lacking the support, partnerships, resources, or backing they need to do anything more than steadily meet the status quo.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that build strong relationships see people as people, not as a means to an end, or as a tool to fulfill their personal agenda. They acknowledge people. They recognize everyone has concerns, hopes, needs, and wants. They care about other’s well-being. They form strong relationships not because of some tactic they have mastered, but because they are sincere. They can build and gain trust quickly. They make people feel like they are important and matter when they are around them. They are the type of person others want to know.
Leaders that build strong relationships instigate those relationships. They do not wait for others to approach them or for relationships to magically form. They make conversation quickly and easily. They put other people at ease. They make themselves approachable. They are comfortable letting people into their lives and entering into theirs.
Leaders that build strong relationships treat people with kindness and concern. They are aware of people’s needs. They show respect to all people regardless of who they are or where they are from. They work with people from all backgrounds. They are quick to overlook differences in favor of common ground. They recognize people will always be more alike than they will be different.
Leaders that build strong relationships take time to get to know people beyond the surface level. They discover other people’s interests. They listen to people and learn what makes them tick. They look for and value who people really are, not just who they appear to be.
Leaders that build strong relationships want other people to succeed as much as they want their own success. They are interested in true partnerships and win-win scenarios. They work with others to meet shared goals instead of only looking out for themselves. They are team-focused individuals instead of self-centered individuals.
Leaders that build relationships are likeable. They are the person everyone wants on their project. People know they will be easy and uplifting to work with instead of being stressed, perturbed, defensive, overbearing, or negative. They are quick to laugh, find it easy to smile, and find a way to make hard work fun.
Leaders that build strong relationships are people builders. They are slow to criticize and quick to say thank you. They give commendation and reward people for a job well done. They help people want to be the best version of themselves when they are together.
BELIEFS
- Everything good that happens in the workplace happens because of a strong relationship between two people.
- By definition, the workplace is a people place. If you can’t work well with other people you are going to have a hard time at work.
- No matter how good your results are, if people don’t like you, or like working with you, you will have a hard time progressing.
- Just as important as getting results is taking the time to build and strengthen working relationships. The one will lead to the other.
- The person that gets results by running over people instead of working with them will find their results short lived.
- The surest way to build a strong relationship is to base it on the simple principles of concern, sincerity, kindness, trust, and respect.
- Strong relationships can’t have selfish interest as their motivation. When selfishness exists, people can sense it and will shy away.
- Building strong relationships means investing in every interaction you have with every person, not just those you like or that matter.
BEST PRACTICES
- Don’t be intimidated by other people.
- Initiate new people relationships.
- Find out the needs of other people.
- Be committed to win-win relationships.
- Take time to be social and get to know others.
- Go the extra mile to put others at ease.
- Collaborate with others and be a team player.
- Adapt your style to accommodate others.
- Show empathy and compassion.
- Offer to help when others are struggling.
- Accept and value people of all backgrounds.
- Show real gratitude when people do good.
- Be sincere in your efforts to get to know people.
- See and treat people as equals and individuals.
- Show respect regardless of personal differences.
- Look for opportunities to serve and lift others.
- Be genuinely concerned for people’s well-being.
- Make the effort to see people for who they are.
- Be kind and considerate in all you do.
- Find common ground with people.
- Be fair in all your dealings.
- Treat people as you want to be treated.
SELF-REFLECTION
- Do I see people as people, or do I see them only as a means of accomplishing some selfish goal?
- Do I instigate new relationships, or do I sit back and wait for people to initiate relationships with me?
- Do I let other people into my life, or do I put up barriers that make it hard for people to approach me?
- Do I treat everyone with kindness, concern, and respect, or do I only show kindness to people I like?
- Do I look past individual differences to find common ground, or do I let people’s differences halt new relationships?
- Do I start new relationships with an eye towards win-win results, or do I only care about what is good for me?
- Do I make it easy and enjoyable for others to work with me, or do I make it hard for others to work with me?
- Do I invest the time it takes to form strong relationships, or do I focus all my energy on my work only?
WORDS OF CAUTION
- Don’t back down from making hard decisions leaders need to make because you are held hostage by your relationships.
- Don’t get trapped into defining your value based on how much people do or don’t like you as their leader.
- Don’t go too far by extending yourself into areas of people’s lives that are inappropriate for a professional workplace.
PSYCHOMETRIC 360 QUESTIONS
- I engage people where they actually are.
- People at work know who I am.
- I am able to bring out the best in others.
- Saying “I’m sorry” is easy.
- I have too much fun at work.
- I know what is going on in the personal lives of my coworkers.