Do People Around You Get Along? How to Build Relationships for Personal & Business Growth

There is tremendous power in relational networks. As the old saying goes, "It's not what you know but who you know," is very true and successful people know how to implement this concept for personal and business gain.

But it is one thing to have a big rolodex of people and understand how to get those people working together to accomplish more as a whole than as individuals. At MyPerfectEconomy.com we encounter and consult on many situations where groups of people from all different backgrounds attempt to come together to accomplish a common task or vision. Sometimes groups click and amazing things happen. While other times there are breakdowns and all that potential is lost.

Part of building human capital for business or personal growth requires the ability to understand, manage and often lead groups of relationships at one time. This is a substantially different skillset than just individual one-to-one relationships. But the person who can effectively leverage people and get them to work together, truly harnesses a form of capital that can be greater than what money can buy.

Here are a few pointers:

Empathy is the Foundation of Human Capital

Some say the shortest distance between two people is communication. This is true but communication has the power to both create and destroy relationships. Without empathy, the ability to understand and validate how the other person feels, communication can be more harmful then good. In the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, habit #5 is, "Seek first to understand, then be understood." This is a great habit for working with the potential of human capital.

People Need to Weigh-in Before they Buy-in

All people make decisions differently and we need to respect this. Sometimes we can be frustrated when people don't seem to come around and jump on board with a group or task-at-hand. Everybody needs to see different types of evidence before making a decision. Some simply need a gut instinct where others need every detail. Some don't mind taking leaps of faith out of trust, where others are much more cautious and need every possibility explored. The fact is you cannot expect someone to buy into something until they are personally satisfied in their own decision making process. The more you respect this in others, the more trust they will have and the easier it will be to work together.

Identity = Security

Have you ever worked with really insecure people? They are the kind that seem to take things personally or always have to draw attention to themselves to the detriment of the team. Insecure people will kill any group or network of relationships. The key to dealing with insecurity is instilling a strong sense of identity. And often, identity needs to be clearly defined for people, which includes roles, expectations and rewards. This is where sometimes titles can make a big difference. Titles clearly define roles and positioning which provides security. Just be careful as the wrong title can also be very harmful to any relational dynamic.

Vision is the Glue that Holds People Together

There is biblical quote that says something to the effect of, "Without vision, people perish and cast off restraint." Whether you have spiritual beliefs or not, the principle behind this is true for everybody. People need to see and be constantly reminded of the big picture. Vision needs to be communicated and refreshed when needed. A group of people with a common vision is a very powerful force. The extreme examples of this are radical groups such as terrorist organizations. Imagine if that same commitment to vision was to be applied to social issues and humanitarian injustice. So if you want to be great at harnessing the power of human capital, find a vision and be effective at communicating it.

In any economy, the one who can be creative at utilizing human capital (the people we know), and get relationships working together effectively, will ultimately see long-term success in any personal or business venture. In other words if you are good at getting people to get along, then getting what you want or need becomes that much easier.

Indefinite Exposure Opportunity for Your Business: Does your company's products or services relate to this article or any other content on My Perfect Economy? Become a sponsor and not only take advantage of an integrated online campaign, but change the world at the same time through our Creative Capital and Social Enterprise marketing program. Learn more about advertising with us here>

*