Building and Maintaining Relationships 1
(Monday)
Context:
Your future success hinges significantly, if not entirely, on your skill to create and maintain relationships.
Whether in your personal life or at work, nearly all your achievements will require interactions with others.
While relationships can develop organically, neglecting effort and consideration can lead to harmful relationships. Negative relationships significantly affect your success and happiness inside and outside of the workplace.
What it is: A relationship has been defined as the way in which two or more people or groups regard and behave toward each other.
Why it’s important: It's rare for a person to spend their entire life without any contact or interaction with others. Even in jobs that are solitary, occasional interactions with others are necessary. Some interactions occur frequently or are so significant that they evolve into relationships.
You'll often need to build relationships with people or groups to accomplish tasks and goals in both your work and personal life. Nothing will contribute to your future success as profoundly as your ability to develop, maintain and grow relationships.
Primer Questions
What are the three most important relationships that you have? Who are they?
What do you think makes a relationship valuable or important?
Why could it be difficult to develop a relationship with others?
Write down your answers and observations in your journal.
A strong and healthy relationship is built on the three C's: Communication, Compromise and Commitment.
5 Keys to Building and Maintaining Relationships.
Relationships are often taken for granted, especially during childhood. We tend to underestimate the significance of our connections with our parents and siblings. In school, the value of building relationships with peers or teachers isn't taught or emphasized. However, strong relationships are a pivotal factor in a student's success, shaping both their career and life. What are five strategies to foster relationships? Watch the video.
Building A Foundation: Trust
Building trust forms a solid base for relationships, whether they are personal or professional. Trust cultivates a deeper connection and provides a sturdy foundation to grow from. When trust exists between individuals, it creates a sense of security and connection. Trust allows you to confide in each other, knowing that you can rely on each other for reassurance, encouragement, and support. Here are three tips:
Consistency: Keep your promises and follow through on your commitments. Demonstrating reliability and consistency over time helps others trust that you will do what you say you will.
Honesty: Be truthful and transparent in your interactions. Sharing information openly, even if it's uncomfortable, fosters a sense of trust that you have integrity and are not hiding anything.
Vulnerability: Share your thoughts, feelings, and concerns with others. Being open about your own experiences and emotions shows that you're willing to be vulnerable and invites others to do the same, deepening the bond of trust.
Building A Foundation: Respect
Respect involves accepting others as they are, even with differences or disagreements. Respect helps both parties feel secure, and overall contentment in both personal and professional relationships. Trust might not come naturally, and may need to be developed through learning and practice.
Here are three ways to cultivate respect in a relationship:
Active Listening: Give your full attention when someone speaks, showing that you value their thoughts and feelings. This not only helps in understanding their perspective but also communicates respect for their input.
Empathy: Put yourself in the other person's shoes, trying to comprehend their emotions and experiences. Empathy demonstrates that you care about their feelings and are willing to connect on a deeper level.
Open Communication: Foster an environment where honest and transparent dialogue is encouraged. Respecting each other's opinions and sharing your thoughts openly builds a foundation of mutual respect and understanding.
Metacognitive Goals
For this week, take a moment to identify the three relationships that hold the most significance for you. While you likely have several valued relationships, focus on selecting three that hold particular importance.
Reflect on why these relationships carry such weight and significance. Additionally, consider what contributes to their strength. Does trust and respect play a pivotal role in these relationships? How? Write your insights and observations in your journal.
Thought of the day.
“We can improve our relationships with others by leaps and bounds if we become encouragers instead of critics.”
- Joyce Meyer