5 Keys To Build Strong Relationships

As entrepreneurs and business people it’s easy to slip into the mindset that building relationships is merely a means to an end and making the sale. Now, there’s no argument…we’re all in business to make money and without question, relationships help us accomplish this.

But think about it. If we stop to merely using people to get what we want, we might have a healthy bank account but be bankrupt in our relationships and our lives. After all, what’s the use of money if you can’t enjoy it and have no one with whom you can enjoy it? Imagine if your banker was the only person to show up at your funeral!

I suggest that we change our thinking. I believe that if we cultivate deep relationships with others, one of the byproducts of those relationships will be prosperity. And forming meaningful relationships makes the journey so much sweeter! The joys of true companionship, partnership, and fellowship far outweigh any bank account. Yet, in my experience, when we focus on relationships the money will follow.

Here are 5 keys to building strong relationships:

1. Be friendly
   An old proverb states, “Anyone who wants friends must be friendly.” Now, I’m not just talking about being friendly with your clients. Be kind, friendly, and loving toward your spouse, your neighbours, your co-workers. And how about the bank teller, the barista, or the grumpy employee at the government office? Here’s a tough one—how about showing kindness and being friendly in traffic? How we behave around others reveals our true self. Be friendly!
2. Learn to rely on others
   This goes against the grain for many of us, but there are a couple things at play here. First, you can’t do it all alone. Bill Hybels  founder of the Willow Creek organization admits, “I’ve never done anything of lasting value without the help of others.” If you try to do everything on your own, I guarantee that the product of your work will not be as good as it could have been with the input of others. Second, people need to be valued. They want to be needed. When we rely on others to help us, we’re giving them worth. We’re telling them, “You’re very important to me.” We need to learn to rely on others.
3. Look for ways to serve others
   A core character trait in people who excel at relationship building is humility. No one likes a braggart or someone who is full of themselves. Service for others offers us a concrete way to practice humility and to demonstrate the worth of others. And we can serve others in countless ways: hold the door open for someone; clean the dishes after a meal; let someone else have the floor in a meeting instead of doing all the talking yourself; buy someone a coffee; etc. See how creative you can be in serving others.
4. Listen intently to others
   Listening, and I mean really listening to others, is an act of caring. Practice active listening when you’re with someone: maintain eye contact; focus on what the person is saying; engage with them both verbally and non-verbally; ask open-ended questions; show interest in what they’re saying; and keep your cell phone in your pocket! Have you ever simply listened intently to someone as they poured out their heart and then they thank you profusely for the gift of listening to them? It’s such a joy to make others feel important and loved!
5. Be generous in forgiving others
   Building deep relationships is hard work. Because we are fallible people, we sometimes get angry, speak a harsh word, or do something unkind. But relationships with others are too precious to simply discard when we’ve been offended (or when we offend). Instead, we need to extend grace and mercy and forgive others. We do this with the humble reality that we ourselves will often need forgiveness from others too. And if we’ve been the offender, we need to go to them and humbly ask forgiveness.Someone might protest, “Yeah, but you don’t know what they did to me! I could never forgive them!” But holding a grudge is like taking poison and hoping the other person will die. Withholding forgiveness causes a root of bitterness to grow inside us that spreads like a noxious weed, crowding out any healthy growth in our lives and the lives of others. Refusing to forgive someone is a heavy burden to bear that will wear us thin and weigh us down. So, get rid of it! Forgive others generously and quickly.

There you have it! Five ways to cultivate healthy relationships. Allow me to challenge you to go through the day with your eyes wide open and see how many of these keys you can implement for building strong relationships. Remember, relationships are not a means to an end. Instead, when we cultivate healthy relationships, prosperity is a natural by-product.

Read in my upcoming Blog how I can help you in your personal and business life.

Leave me a comment I’m curious to know when you opened the door the last time for someone or carried the litter out. Or do you other keys that I’ve missed?