Relationships Leak
There is a skill to keeping your relationships thriving. One of the surefire ways to reduce the quality of your connections is to take them for granted. It happens a lot, especially if we are not intentional about connecting with the people we build relationships with. It can be easy for relationships to go dormant. As I say, “Relationships Leak.”
As we endeavor to grow our business and move it forward, we must be aware and vigilant that our relationships don’t just become transactional, there is a person behind every service, deal, or sale. Don’t allow your focus to be simply the outcome. Recognizing the person, showing kindness, and understanding goes a long way in business and can build relational equity with people you value in your life.
Relationship Fill Up
Here are 5 tips that I have found helpful to keep my relationships “filled up:”
- Be authentic in your connections. Take time to take an interest in the people you do business with. if your personal interactions are true and meaningful, you will feel good. And if you feel good, your actions and decisions will feel right. Emotions impact our thinking and drive behaviors.
- Try to be positive with people whenever possible. When there is a positive atmosphere, it generates positive feelings. Positive feelings influence positive behavior and decision-making.
- Make regular connections. Find meaningful ways to touch base with your network consistently throughout the year. Regular networking will keep you in the front of the mind of others. When they need your assistance or when they have something, they can assist you with it. Be active in your network.
- Connect Person to Person. Don’t always rely on electronic communication. Pick up the phone and talk or meet in person. This is one of the best ways to combat feelings of neglect. This is a borrowed principle from successful churches:
“This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing. In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward…” Hebrews 10:25-26 TPT
- Be Generous. Freely share ideas, connections, and content. Always add value to the relationship. Proverbs 11:24 in The Message translation says: “The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.”
Don't hurt your Relationships
I have also made mistakes in my relationships. Here are some things to avoid:
- Only reaching out when you need something. This can make a person feel used. It might mean you need some foresight to call when you don’t need something.
- Failing to show Gratitude. This is especially true when someone has gone beyond the scope of what would be normal. It means something when people are recognized for going above and beyond.
- Keeping Score. Don’t allow the relationship to become solely transactional. This can build resentment and frustration quickly. If you constantly compare how much each person has contributed to the relationship, your kindness can quickly turn into manipulation.
Relationships are living things. We need to intentionally tend them, water them, and care for them in order to see them grow and flourish.