Do you agree that we all want to work more effectively with people? Whether the interaction is with our manager, customer or coworker, we want to make our interpersonal relationships positive, supportive, clear, and empowering.

An effective leader is proficient in managing relationships and building networks. They must also possess the ability to find common ground and build rapport which significantly improves results and satisfaction levels.

Leadership: It’s not something you do to people, it’s something you do with people.
–Patricia Zigarmi and Drea Zigarmi

Over 300 managers and executives across the globe were asked if the definition of leadership had changed in the past five years. 84 percent responded yes, and attributed it to having more complex challenges resulting in hardships for their organizations.

There was a side benefit to these hardships: greater collaboration, improved work processes, and expanded work boundaries. Interesting, isn’t it?

Keep in mind that the nature and speed of work that is required by most professions do not lend themselves to developing relationships or for allowing time to develop the necessary skills, but they are essential for achieving success.

The TRUST Relationship Strategy

This strategy is used frequently by sales forces, but may also be used for most industries. It stands for:

  • T – Think
  • R – Relate
  • U – Uncover the needs
  • S – Sell the solution
  • T – Take action and close                    

Additional tips and techniques are provided by QwikCoach for Balancing Relationships and Results:

It’s important for teams to dedicate time to specifically assess process and relationships and to look for ways to continuously improve both.

Click to read more . . . (ID and password required.)

Building and sustaining strong and lasting relationships is not an option!