Creating Effective and Mutually Beneficial Relationships

"Stellar teams are invariably made up of quirky individuals who typically rub each other raw, but they figure out – with the spiritual help of a gifted leader – how to be their peculiar selves and how to win championships as a team...at the same time." (Tom Peters in Fast Company Magazine)

We do not live independently of others - we interact with others in many different ways that make the world work. It is these interactions that make us interdependent - we all complete different parts of the social puzzle. 

An interaction can only be deemed positive if both parties gain in a manner that enables both parties to meet or exceed their expectations. Relationships are formed when this positive interaction is seen as sufficiently rewarding for both parties that they decide to repeat the interaction, often for long periods of time.

Mutual reward is the key if the relationship is to continue over time. If the benefits are skewed or perceived to be prejudiced in favour of one of the parties, a conflict may develop, which, if allowed to continue, may result in confrontation and the demise of the relationship. Conflict should never be seen as necessarily negative; often conflict, which is merely a difference of opinion, can lead to clearer understanding of the wants and needs of each of the parties from the other's perspective. 

This is true in business as well as personal relationships, and is evident in negotiations between heads of state of nations - the relationship must be seen to be fair and beneficial in both party's opinions. 'Win-win' is the starting point of every relationship deal. Where there are imbalanced relationships in existence, one party's needs may be greater than the other party, and so they may be willing to make greater concessions to stay in the relationship.  It is doubtful, however, whether this kind of relationship is sustainable.

Maintaining the relationship involves ensuring that there is clear understanding at any point in time of the partys' expectations, since these may change over time, and constant communication to establish whether these are being met or not. 

Many relationships fail because of the assumption on the part of one or both parties that the interaction is healthy, accompanied by a failure to address the imbalance.  

In short, a relationship of any kind, whether an employment, business, or personal type, is a two-way street, and awareness of that fact can help to keep it going to both parties' benefit.

D (just call me D)

justd@justd.ws

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