You know the feeling. You’re energised, inspired, happy and you just can’t wait to see them again. Being together is easy and it just works. It is as true of our professional relationships as our personal; some are solid and will easily last the distance while others simply won’t.
Unfortunately, unlike in our personal lives, we can’t always control who we work with and the relationships that err on the side of destructive can leave us feeling flat, anxious and negative. It’s therefore worthwhile considering how you can achieve the most cohesive relationships with your clients, suppliers, colleagues and staff.
I have learned to recognise the different ways that can pre-empt how certain relationships track. These observations have taught me that the best relationships are based on the following principles:
Respect: Whether your relationship is based on knowledge, experience, skill or personality, having mutual respect and trust in the other person is vital in building a long term fulfilling partnership.
Vision: When two parties are tracking in the same direction in relation to a strategic program, with some key milestone measures in place, it turns evaluation from anecdotal and emotional to objective, constructive and rational.
Communication: Establishing a platform where both parties feel comfortable to raise issues or provide feedback at any time is an important way to ensure a ‘true’ reading of a relationship’s success. Sharing feedback also injects enthusiasm and incentive to succeed.
Symmetry: For a relationship to track successfully, both parties need to ‘come to the party’ and contribute to their end of the agreed program. You can’t expect the other person to continue on a skewed arrangement.
Appreciation: No matter how stressful a situation, celebrating wins nourishes a relationship. When it’s all work and no play you lose the perspective of what you’re both trying to achieve. It’s also a good time to reflect on what’s working and what’s not.
You don’t have to be someone’s best friend or have ‘chemistry’ to make a work relationship healthy and productive. But seeing as though we spend so much of our time at work it’s worth investing time into building a solid foundation for the way we interact with our professional peers. It can be valuable to do a quick stock-take; what are the common themes that thread through your most successful relationships? Strive to weave those into your less productive relationships.