Effective building relationships
Theodore Roosvelt said: "The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people". Team members don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care. The ability to work with people and develop relationships is crucial to effective leadership.
What can a project manager do to manage and cultivate good relationships as a leader?
I have a few suggestions to follow:
1. Understand people: Many times we are not listening to our team members, just hearing them. The first quality to develop as a relational leader is the ability to understand how people feel and think. As you work with others, recognize that all people, leaders or followers, have some things in common:
- They like to feel special, so sincerely cumpliment them
- They want a better tomorrow, so how them hope
- They desire direction, so navigate for them
- They are selfish, so speak to their needs first
- They get low emotionally, so encourage them
- They want success, so help them win
Take into account that you, as a leader should be sensible. You have to be able to adapt your leadership style to the person you are leading.
2. Love people: My colleague and friend Randall L. Englund uses three sentences that are powerful dealing with people: I want you, I need you, I love you. People need to be loved and respected. You as a leader should have empathy for others and a keen ability to find the best in people.
3. Help your people: Usually people respect a leader who keeps their interests in mind. If your focus is on what you can put into people rather than what you can get out of them, they will love and respect you – and these create a great foundation for building relationships.
In my experience I discovered that you can improve your relationships. My suggestion is to do the following:
- Improve your mind: If you feel that your ability to understand people needs improvement, jump-start it by reading several books on the subject. Then spend more time observing people and talking to them to apply what you have learned.
- Stregthen your heart: If you are not as caring toward others as you could be, you need to get the focus off yourself. Make a list of little things you could do to add value to friends and colleagues. Then try to do one of them everyday. Don't wait until you feel like it to help others. Act your way into feeling.
- Repair a hurting relationship. Think of a valued longterm relationship that has faded. Do what you can do to rebuild it. If you had a falling out,take responsibility for your part in it, and apologize. Try to better understand, love and serve that person.
- Building effective relationships is difficult but it is not impossible. You as a project manager must be focused on that. Take your time and persevere.
TODAY IS A GOOD DAY!
