Building strong connections at work should be done as soon as possible. Both ones are willing to stand beside you and those that can offer results when it comes down to it. One of the key skills for success is the ability to establish relationships, understand others, and be an influencing figure. There are three characteristics that are defining for forming good professional relationships. These characteristics seem to be common among successful leaders who build very powerful connections, doing so with a repetitive intention.
- A commonly shared ideal with a purpose is the first trait. Relationships are founded on common ground and interests. Leaders must seek out this commonality and establish a mutual understanding of why the relationship is important.
- Comprehension of the type of relationship it is – interactions can take many forms, so relationships should be valued along a spectrum. One end is transactional relationships, which are highly distant and exist solely for some business purpose. In the middle are interdependent relationships, with some level of familiarity and often shared objectives, respect, and information – colleagues working together. Finally, there are transformational relationships with strong mutual connections, being open to each other, and being influenced by each other’s opinions. Each type of relationship fits the circumstance and person as appropriate.
- Commitment to working on the relationship in crisis – strong relationships are complex and robust; they take time to build. There will be both friendly and struggle in the relationship. However, when both parties understand the meaning and importance of the relationship, they are willing to go out of their way to work on it and not let it fall apart in some arbitrary crisis.
For leaders, understanding these building blocks of meaningful relationships can contribute to the behavior and interactions to build them. It is necessary to evaluate and classify each relationship to understand the expectations and effort that must be undertaken to maintain them, but in the end, one wants to have the relationships which will provide support and backing to help deliver the best results (Rowell, 2019).
Reference
Rowell, D. (2019). 3 Traits of a Strong Professional Relationship. Harvard Business Review.