Why Do Relationships Matter?
Are You Keeping Up With Your Relationships?
Like many of you, I have a lot of family, friends and business relationships. I’d like to think I do a good job of maintaining contact with those I care about, and with those I do business with frequently. However, the sad truth is, I should be attending relationship building 101 classes right about now. Most of what I write about, read in trade journals and business books, concerns improving business effectiveness and associated processes. To that end, having strong relationships, knowing who you can trust in good times and bad, is essential. I could design the most efficient process a company has ever seen but it would never gain any traction if my business partners didn’t have faith in me or my work. Any salesperson worth a lick will testify their success is due in large part to the relationships they’ve established with their customers.
But what about your relationships outside of work? Are you tending (and mending) to your family and friends as if a multi-million dollar sale depended on it? I’m embarrassed to say, my wife has told me often that I treat my co-workers and subordinates better than I treat her and my son. This bothers me on a number of fronts outside of the obvious. Think about it for a moment; how can I (or anyone else for that matter) be successful in life, in business, if I don’t reach out consistently to those I care about?
I recently discovered a former rugby teammate of mine died of a heart attack. Truth be told, Tom and I weren’t close friends outside of playing rugby. But there was something about Tom that drew me and others to him, like a moth to a flame. His face is so clear while others have blurred after 25 plus years, but I’m not exactly sure why. Tom’s was a relationship squandered; a botched opportunity on my part to enrich my life further and possibly assist Tom’s family during their time of need. Yeah, I’m feeling guilty with nobody to blame but myself.
So how about you? Are you maintaining those relationships outside of the office? I know it’s hard, I get it. So many people, so little time…………..
