Relationships don’t come easy to anyone. You must put in the effort to create positive, encouraging, and mutually beneficial professional relationships. Relationships, especially business ones, require constant attention.
Think of relationships like shelter: it starts as a tent and as the relationship is nurtured, you build it into a cabin. The more support and productivity you put into the cabin, the faster and stronger it grows into a small home, then a large house, and finally, a beautiful castle. Once a relationship becomes a castle, not even negativity can invade it.
Unfortunately, many relationships experience negativity. Gara Group’s CEO, Kosta Gara, explains in Chapter 6 of “Organic Networker” how to build a relationship that focuses on positivity and understanding. Below are 7 extra tips to help you maintain positive business connections.
RECOGNIZE AND WELCOME DIFFERENCES
You can either fight the differences you see between you and others or you can welcome them into your relationships. There will always be differences, but embracing these differences can ease tensions in your relationships. If you struggle to accept these differences, your relationship will experience great negativity. Developing a positive relationship begins with welcoming differences and accepting others as they are.
LISTEN MORE, TALK LESS
Kosta Gara believes people have two ears and one mouth for a reason: to listen more and talk less. It’s common for people to talk mainly about themselves, but to build a long-term, positive relationship, you must give everyone a chance to be heard. By listening to what they have to say, you’re strengthening the bond and making them feel valued.
SHARE YOUR TIME
In this industry, time is precious and cannot be frivolously spent; however, time is the secret ingredient to positive relationships, whether personal or professional. A supervisor giving employees time to discuss concerns, for example, benefits the company as a whole. A parent giving a child time to play games together benefits the family. Though your schedule is busy and your priorities are stacking up, share your time with the people whose relationships you value. Incredible things happen when you share your time with others.
ALWAYS SMILE
Mirror neurons are what allow smiles to be so contagious. Try staring solemnly at someone who is smiling; I’m sure you’ll struggle to keep a smile from appearing across your own face. Smiles diffuse the most serious of situations; they melt anger and intensify happiness. Even if times are tough and you don’t have much to smile about, smile. Genuine smiles naturally produce positivity.
KNOW WHO YOU’RE TALKING TO
When becoming a doctor, you study medicine. When buying a car, you study the specs. So, when creating a relationship, you should study the person. Who do you want to build a relationship with? Research if a business relationship is what you’ll achieve by getting to know the person. Keep in mind, there are boundaries that should never be crossed when researching people and stalking others is never a positive activity.
BUILDING TRUST THROUGH HONESTY
Every relationship needs honesty; without honesty, there is no trust. Trust must also be mutual. If you trust wholeheartedly but your business partner cannot depend on you, this is not a relationship founded on trust. Remember to be honest, open, and genuine if you want others to feel like they can rely on you. Lying and hiding things weakens the relationship. It only takes one lie to weaken the bond significantly.
BE EMPATHETIC
All your actions should be made with others in mind. Put things into perspective. How would your business partner or loved one feel about the choices you make or the events that have transpired? By trying to understand the feelings of others, you are building the relationship further. It’s common for people to set aside the values of others to focus on their own opinions. Remember to take time to consider the other person’s feelings, thoughts, and opinions first.
CONCLUSION
Life is all about relationships, but with one wrong step, relationships can become a source of great negativity. Unhealthy relationships can damage your productivity at the office, your mood at home, and many more aspects of your day-to-day life.
It’s easy to undermine the value of relationships in the business world, but consider this: attitude affects everything. It can shift your communication, your mindset, the motivation of your coworkers, and even your productivity. Negative thinking can make even the greatest entrepreneur stumble, so don’t let it get you! Live life with a positive mentality and great things will happen.
