As we continue our COMPASS series, this week’s topic is the need to Sustain and Enhance Relationships. Successful leaders are proficient in managing relationships and building networks. They possess the ability to find common ground and build rapport and make interpersonal relationships positive, supportive, clear, and empowering. Regardless if the relationship is with your manager, customer, peer, or business partner, by creating and sustaining relationships, you will be more effective!
Use the PeopleTek COMPASS throughout your career!
In organizations, real power and energy is generated through relationships. The patterns of relationships and the capacities to form them are more important than tasks, functions, roles, and positions.
–Margaret Wheatly Leadership and the New Science
Enhancing and Sustaining Relationships
People and relationships matter! The existence of strong working relationships creates energy, reduces turnover, increases satisfaction levels, and grows results.
Tips to Help Build Relationships
- Be receptive to coaching or direction from those you trust and respect
- Focus on expectations and understand desired results
- Stay current on required work skills
- Share your successes and accomplishments
- Escalate issues and problems immediately (no one wants to be blindsided!)
- Be loyal to and support your organization; avoid gossip
- If integrity issues exist, escalate them with facts and specific events
- Solicit feedback to hear perceptions of what’s working well and what is not
- Consider how you respond to situations; are you contributing to a non-productive relationship? Key questions to ask to diffuse any situation and build relationships are:
- “What could I do to help?
- “How can I improve the situation, issue, etc”
- “So you think I could . . . ”
Now get a copy of your own COMPASS!
How readily do you establish new relationships? Do you take the time to nurture and sustain already established relationships? What are your strengths and what could you change in regards to relationship building? How do others view your relationship capabilities?
QwikCoach Summary of Our Leadership COMPASS
A person’s frame of reference is his or her unique and individual perspective or personal “bias” – a sort of perceptual “filter” through which that person views the world. It determines how the individual interprets situations and other people’s words, actions, and beliefs – and how others interpret his or hers. Understanding “frame of reference” is key to building strong and effective relationships.
Recommended Reading
Strengths-Based Leadership – Tom Rath and Barry Conchie
The Feiner Points Of Leadership – Michael Feiner
Invest in sustaining and enhancing your relationships to increase levels of success!