By Paula Quinsee, Relationship Expert, Speaker and Author
Many organizations forget that their employees are human beings and have lives of their own, because they are so focused on chasing the numbers and the targets. But, if your employees are not happy, don’t enjoy coming to work, and feel like their contribution is not being valued they will eventually stop giving their best and start looking for other options.
If an organization has a high staff turnover in a department, then the management style or a particular individual is disrupting the team dynamics. If an organization has a high staff turnover as a whole, then the corporate culture and leadership needs to be assessed.
Our entire world revolves around relationships from the minute we are conceived to the day we die.
Healthy, functional relationships are important to our development and survival. Relationships give us our biggest growth edge based on what we are putting out there and what we are attracting back into our lives, so we constantly need to be aware of where we are at in our heads (our thoughts, attitude) and where we are at in our bodies (our emotional triggers and drivers). In other words we need to develop our soft skills i.e our emotional intelligence.
Corporate relationships are very similar to our personal relationships.
We don’t realize it but there is very little difference between work and personal relationships – the basic principles are the same. Just as children mimic their parents behavior, so too do employees mimic the leadership behavior in the organization. Parents set the tone by which the family functions and thrives whilst leaders set the tone for the corporate culture, values, vision and mission so yes the basic principles are the same, the key difference being that our personal relationships are more emotionally charged as they are driven by romantic love, whilst in the workplace, we are driven by the love we feel for the organization we work for, our fellow colleagues and being valued for the contribution we are making (e.g. rewards and recognition).
In fact business partnerships are just like a marriage.
In both instances there is a mutual interest to achieve a mutual, beneficial outcome for all parties concerned. It is important when entering a partnership (business or marriage) that there are very clear boundaries as to what is expected from each person, what the relationship deal breakers are and the vision everyone is working towards. Look to instill values that everyone operates by such as treating each other with respect, being honest about what’s working and what’s not working, manage conflict in a mature manner and finding solutions and outcomes that is win-win for all involved remembering that communication is key every day in everything you do.
We all participate in seminars, read books, engage in webinars and conversations, gain credentials in one area or another but do these learning experiences make us experts? Unfortunately not. Although a fundamental step, they only provide a heightened awareness of the topic and associated skills. Everyone seems to understand this, but only deliberate practice will make us skillful at these things.
How are you practicing and applying your soft skills in your personal and professional relationships?
Paula Quinsee is a Relationship Expert, Tedx speaker and author of the self-help guide Embracing Conflict. Paula is also a consultant to the TV show, Married at First Sight SA. She works with individuals and organisations to cultivate healthy relationships in both personal and professional arenas by focusing on personal growth and development. Go to www.paulaquinsee.com for more information.
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