General Negotiation July 27, 2012

Building Connections That Work

Positive energy relationships are the lubricating oil of successful internal negotiations. These relationships are the catalyst that allows you to be heard and to settle differences without rancor. Harmony in working together follows directly from good relationships. Let’s look at ways to build this vital career (and life) skill.

Positive energy relationships are vastly different from passive or negative ones in shaping the interactions of people at work.

When two persons have developed a positive relationship they are pleased to see one another, and they show it with a warm smile or handshake. When the meeting ends, they leave with a feeling of well-being, even if the problem they sought to solve still eludes them. Their energy level grows rather than diminishes.

Interactions with negative-energy people work the opposite way. One leaves such encounters feeling depleted and dejected; sorry to have been there. Each of us knows from personal experience that we look forward to dealing with those who exude positive energy. We avoid those who do not. Working with positive people is a joy.

The ability to build positive relationships may be more important to your success at work than being highly intelligent or well-skilled. At work we often make the mistake of overvaluing intelligence at the expense of appreciating how well they get along and deal with associates.

Intelligence and talent are important. But these are not the only factors to consider. In today’s complex economic and social world, with its interconnecting spheres of knowledge, another measure of competence has become increasingly necessary: the ability to build connections with those you interact with on a regular basis, whatever their role in the organization.