Relationships More Important Than Ever

I traveled with my family to Almost Heaven, West Virginia this weekend to watch my alma mater play Syracuse in its homecoming game, and though I left greatly disappointed, it made me realize once again how important relationships are in my life.

I happen to have very good high school and college memories, and I look back with great fondness at the relationships that I had during those years.  Can anyone really say that they feel as connected now as they did when they were in high school and/or college?  I know I don't, and I miss it.  If you have the opportunity to reconnect with old friends, you will be amazed at how quickly you pick back up with that special relationship.  Don't you wish it were that simple at work?

HR Executives preach it.  Trainers sell it.  Building healthy relationships is the key to success in any business relationship.  Most take this as self evident, but is it?  Think back to those football players that were your teammates from the time you were six until you graduated.  You may do bad things to each other, may even hate each other from time to time.  However, you trusted in the fact that your common interests, your mutual friends or your history would eventually win out over any hard feelings.  You TRUSTED.  Healthy relationships depend on trust to function.  Without trust, you cannot have a relationship.  Period.  Tell me - do you trust your boss?  Your co-workers?  Your subordinates?  Your friends and family?

Show me a truly great executive, and I'll show you someone who probably makes a great friend.  He or she is probably someone people would describe in words such as, "He'd give you the shirt off his back," or "You never have to worry about her doing the right thing, because that's who she is."  You trust your friends, and you must trust your boss and your subordinates.  If you don't have trust, you must ask yourself if you have been trustworthy in return.  If the answer is truly yes, yet you still don't trust a person, then you shouldn't have a relationship with that person. That may mean leaving a job or changing careers, but life is too short to surround yourself with people that you don't trust.  You won't be happy, and you won't ever be the best person that you can be.  Relationships are more important than ever - take the time to assess them all and act accordingly.