Way to Success- Building Healthy and Genuine Relationships
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| Components of Healthy Relationships |
We need personal connect and support. Relationships of blood and friendships give meaning to our lives and add beauty to our existence. Building relationships in our personal and professional life is an essential component of our existence.
In fact, the use of signs and symbols for the purpose of communication and later evolution of language also took place because of this need to socialise, as we needed to build relationships and live together.
Why is it important to build healthy relationships?
1. Relationships form the essence of our survival. We are
born weak and vulnerable. By birth, we have developed relationships that help
us grow up, learn survival skills and life skills.
2. Having the right people around serves as the right ambience
for our psychological wellbeing.
3. The right people make us feel secure and confident of
ourselves.
4. We can share our interests and goals with them.
5. Healthy relationships reduce stress which we face in our
life.
6. They make us feel needed and that boost our self-esteem.
7. It is easier to get the work done when we are working with
like-minded individuals.
8. "If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the
science of human relationships - the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to
live together, in the same world at peace" -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
How to build healthy relationships?
1. Trust is the most important. How would you feel if you
woke up one day and came to know that your parents had hidden something from
you for years together? Or, how would you feel if you got to know that your
best friend had betrayed and cheated you? Well, that would be devastating
right? Trust forms the basis of all relationships. Trust, at the workplace, is
a psychological bond or contract between the employer and the employee.
Psychological, because it’s unwritten, but it exists. For example, employers do
trust their employees will do their work honestly and take care of the company
confidential documents even while working from home. That is trust.
2. One cannot be fake in relationships- Being fake or
falsehood is unacceptable. You cannot build the basis of any new relation based
on lies and made up stories. Sooner or later they will create permanent cracks
in the relationship. For example, you cannot lie to a prospective job candidate
about the nature of work, or, you cannot fake your self in front of someone for
a marriage proposal.
3. Networking is important- Networking accelerates the rate
at which you can form healthy relationships. There are many professional and
informal networking social media platforms available. We must use them
judiciously and wisely. For example, we could search on LinkedIn for people who
hold interest similar to us and get connected. This will not enhance our
profile, but also create the opportunity to interact, learn from each other and
collaborate for mutual benefits.
4. Acknowledge- I strongly believe that we must acknowledge
back what we receive to maintain a healthy relationship. Relationships are not
a one-sided or one-way bridge. It's a bridge that must bear two- way traffic.
We have to greet, celebrate, allow, accept and appreciate what the other person
has to offer. For example, we must acknowledge the favour of a good friend and
always give due credit to him for what he has done. Especially when he has
helped you when you were in dire need. Taking a favour for granted is
disrespectful.
5. Respect- An old saying, but it holds true is 'You have to
give respect to get it in return.' You also cannot demand it, you need to
command it. For example, if you treat a child with disrespect, you will get the
same in return. Even a child understands the language of love and respect.
6. Mutual appreciation- I also believe that each one of us is
uniquely different We must learn to like and appreciate that uniqueness. For
example, You may have a colleague who may not know how to send good emails and
connect with people virtually, but he may have the quality of being an
impressive speaker and may connect face-to-face with others really well. You
must be able to recognise and appreciate that quality.
7. Commitment- Here, I do not refer to commitment as in being
serious about someone or being loyal. Here I mean that we must be committed to
being helpful and being available when the time asks for it. Any relationship
is about to give and take. Most of the times we enjoy the 'take' and refuse to
'give' and return the help when the time comes. We must be perceived as an
individual who is committed to being helpful and supportive. For example, a
LinkedIn connect has offered to send me free resources on a topic which I
requested help for. After some time I get to know that he or she requires to
work on a program on which I have wonderful resources and a bunch of ideas. Here,
I should be committed to helping at the time of need. Remember a relationship
is not worth if it doesn't stand by you when you want the person to.
8. Collaboration to get greater results- One is alone, but
two is company. That's another old-time saying, but it’s correct that if we
collaborate with like-minded others on personal experiences and professional
projects, it has chances of yielding greater and larger results. It is more so
as everyone brings their unique qualities to the table. For example, workplace
projects are not done in silos. It is usually a collaboration of employees of
different functions. Their knowledge and skills together make the project a
success. It's like 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.'
9. Remember to influence..but authority is not equal to
influence- Relationships are all about the influence you have on another
individual. By that, I mean that the person is in relation with you not because
he is bound by a contract or legal agreement. For example, the relationship
with the boss, although of authority, cannot be only restricted to that.
Authority is a binding factor, but his genuine and impactful influence on you,
will in the true sense make your relationship stronger.
10. Learn to leave and let go what is unimportant- We must
learn to overlook what will not make a difference the next moment in time. And
we must do it consciously. By this, I mean '5 fingers are not the same and so
are people'. Learn to accept them with flaws, and especially let go irritating instances,
however, will not matter to your life in the time to come. For example, a
friend has a habit of being clumsy and tends to drop food while passing it on
the food table. Well, so what? The table mat can be cleaned, but once stained
with sharp words, your relationship can't.
Remember- Relationships are a beautiful long-term investment,
the only cost you pay is your emotion, time and involvement.
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| Human Connections |
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