Managing Relationships with Others

Adventures in Businessing: Entrepreneurship, Small Business, and a Healthy Dose of Humor

Show Notes

• [0:00:39] Episode Summary | Intro

• Jeremy gets “folksy”.
• All relationships take work and conscious effort to make them affective.
• • This applies to work, family, and friends.
  • You’re managing relationships, even when you’re not.

• [0:06:06] Diving Into Managing Relationships Well

• Communication Mistakes
• • We often go in NOT assuming the best.
  • • Whether you’re sick, maybe you slept poorly, etc.
    • We’ve found that very-very rarely does anyone actually have any ill intent going into their interactions.
    • Assume the best!
    • With the advent of social media dominance, the world at large right now needs to come together and acknowledge there are MANY more individuals with you than against you.
    • • And those people want peace, kindness, equality, and much more for themselves and others.
• If you are going to manage your relationships well, you’re going to have to listen.
• • Listening is a skill that takes effort, and it’s not one people come by naturally.
  • Listening isn’t, and shouldn’t be used as, a gateway to counter points, attacks, and conversational dominance.
  • • The goal is to listen twice as much as you talk.
• Questions are key.
• • To great benefit, asking the right questions after engaged listening can unlock a lot of mutual understanding and trust.
  • • But questions shouldn’t come veiled with “gotcha” scenarios painted in, and should never be used to set someone up for failure.

• [0:13:25] Other Thoughts on Managing Relationships

• Relationships aren’t one and done, they’re ongoing.
• • Intention and ongoing effort are required.
  • Some relationships come easier than others, and sometimes that’s a good thing.
  • • Though we do have to be careful about spending all our time and efforts on what comes easy, while letting other relationships slip up.
• Respond, don’t react.
• • Teaching yourself to think about your response is always worth the investment.
• The best relationships work when you don’t have the walled off facade in the way.
• • Measure this for yourself and context is important.
  • • But there is something to say for being honest and sharing your feelings in earnest.
    • • Otherwise bitterness becomes the poison you drink...assuming the other person will get sick.
• Sometimes you just have to be humble and apologize.
• • Too often work relationships fall apart because of one person or the other refusing to be wrong or accept the blame.
  • • Some of this can be from a toxic work culture, but a lot of it can be prevented.

• On that note, if you come from a toxic work culture, let us know!

• We want to help you get out of that, or improve that situation; and we have a network of amazing professionals who just might be able to help.

• Be a person and place that is safe to fail around.
• • We can’t improve without failing.
  • • Help others navigate failure and acknowledge efforts of others with grace and humility.

• [0:23:57] Sometimes we make mistakes when we should know better…

• It’s easy to just pile on, try offering support.
• • We all need allies, not enemies. So put that supportive energy out in to the world and help others rather than ridicule.
• Unspoken expectations are the landmines of all relationships.
• • Assume the best, but don’t assume others know your expectations of them.
  • Communicating expectations is so very important; the sooner the better!

• [0:28:45] Parting Words

• Spend time thinking and being intentional about your relationships in your life today, and the ones you wish could be better.
• • Then ask how you can improve yourself to meet those relationship goals.