Building and Maintaining Relationships
LESSON 2.0
In order to build and maintain relationships, it’s important that you start with you. What do we mean by that? Experts in relationship building, both at the personal and professional level, all agree that knowing and liking yourself will allow you to build closer and stronger relationships.
Take the time to appreciate yourself, both strengths and weaknesses. Take time to understand your feelings, which will help you communicate effectively. It's crucial to also focus on developing foundational skills like self-awareness, self-appreciation, and self-acceptance through the OSIBridge approach. Neglecting these skills and mishandling emotions can be detrimental to building trust and respect in a relationship.
Primer Questions
Have you ever had an emotional outburst that put a strain on a relationship, or worse?
How do you think self-esteem plays a role in being able to connect with others?
Have you ever known someone who put others down in order to feel good about themselves?
Write down your answers and observations in your journal.
“Respecting yourself means giving and defining your own worth and value as a human being. Think about this: if you do not respect yourself, it will be more difficult for you to respect anyone else. So it all begins with self-respect.”
-How to Respect Yourself and Others, Linked In Article by Joseph Mandour
Interpersonal Skills: Invaluable to building relationships.
Relationships are all about people connecting with each other. If you want to build strong work or personal relationships, you've got to be good at understanding where others are coming from, respecting them, and showing you care about your team. These people skills, or interpersonal skills, are extremely important to develop in order to allow personal or professional connections that really work and grow.
The skill of building relationships highlights the fact that durable skills are all connected, dependent, or related to each other.
Whether you're in a work environment now or plan to be in the future, start building connections now to gain an advantage when you enter the workplace.
What are they?
What are we talking about when we refer to interpersonal skills? Indeed Career Center describes them this way:
“Relationship-building skills are a combination of soft skills that a person applies to connect with others and form positive relationships. In the workplace, relationship-building skills are essential for getting along with coworkers, contributing to a team, and building an understanding between yourself and others.”
-Relationship Building Skills: Definitions and Examples
Which trait or quality in the graphic do you need to work on, or improve on most?
Graphic interpersonal skill chart(Todd)
Active Listening: What’s involved.
Use Non-Verbal Cues: Pay attention to the speaker's body language and gestures to gain a better understanding of their emotions and thoughts.
Ask Thoughtful Questions: Ask relevant and open-ended questions that encourage the speaker to elaborate on their ideas, demonstrating your engagement and desire to understand.
Stay Open-Minded: Approach the conversation with an open mind, free from preconceived notions or judgments. This encourages the speaker to share their perspective openly.
Avoid Interrupting: Refrain from interrupting the speaker while they are expressing themselves. Let them finish before responding or asking questions.
Use Positive Body Language: Employ positive body language, such as nodding, maintaining an open posture, and using facial expressions that convey interest and engagement. This reinforces your attentiveness and encourages the speaker to continue sharing.
Self-Reflection
Consider the following questions. You can either write your responses in a journal or discuss your findings with a small group.
1. Is making friends easy for you? If it's challenging, why do you think that is?
2. Do you feel a strong connection to one or more of your friends?
3. How is your relationship with your friends or partners? Explain and share how you contribute to that relationship.
4. What are three distinctions between your relationships with friends and your family members?
If you can cultivate and maintain relationships now, even with those who have different perspectives, you'll be well on your way to establishing robust, beneficial, and fulfilling relationships in both your future workplace and life.
Thought of the day
“The internet and online communication is the window into your world - but real life, in person communication and connection is the door.”
― Rasheed Ogunlaru